I 


GOOD   ENGLISH 


j^^y^ 


THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

NEW  YORK    •    BOSTON  •    CHICAGO  •    DALLAS 
ATLANTA  •    SAN   FRANCISCO 

MACMILLAN   &   CO.,  Limited 

LONDON  •    BOMBAY  •    CALCUTTA 
MELBOURNE 

THE  MACMILLAN  CO.  OF  CANADA,  Ltd. 

TORONTO 


GQDD  ENGLISH 

BY 

HENRY  SEIDEL  CANBY 

^  AND 

JOHN  BAKEI\OPDYCKE 


ILLUSTRATIONS  BY 

MAUDANDMISK^  PETERgHAM 


THE  MA.CMILLAN  COMPANY,  PUBUSHEI^ 
NEV  YOI^   MCMXX 


// 


COPTBIGHT,   1918, 

bt  the  macmillan  company. 


Set  up  and  electrotyped.    Published  May,  1918, 


NortnooD  ^xt»9 

J.  8.  Cashing  Co.  —  Berwick  A  Smith  Co. 

Norwood,  Maaa.,  U.S.A. 


C  2  ^ 


PREFACE 

Although  there  has  been  a  deluge  of  writing  upon  good 
EngUsh,  the  theory  of  composition  in  our  language  has 
been  little  changed  since  the  days  of  those  good  old  rhetorics 
of  the  later  nineteenth  century  that  every  textbook  maker 
mentions  by  way  of  honorable  reference  in  his  preface.  But 
the  practice  of  teaching  written  and  oral  English  has  altered, 
and  is  altering,  with  startling  rapidity ;  and  this  is  the  suffi- 
cient excuse  for  another  book  in  the  field  of  elementary  in- 
struction. Rhetoric  in  the  ^nineties  was  discipline  plus  in- 
struction; rhetoric  today  is  instruction  plus  stimulation. 
We  are  thinking  less  of  rules  and  more  of  writing  and  speak-  <t^ 
ing;  we  are  working  less  among  abstract  principles  drawn 
from  masterpieces,  and  more  in  the  laboratory  of"  actual 
experience  where  each  and  all  are  busy  with  experiments 
leading  toward  a  prose  that  may  unlock  the  lips  and  speed 
the  pen.  For  such  an  endeavor  a  textbook  cannot  be  too 
fresh  and  apposite,  or  too  closely  related  to  the  moving 
thought  and  emotion  of  the  time. 

Not  a  book  of  the  scores  of  manuals  upon  English  that 
have  been  pubHshed  since  this  new  view  of  rhetoric  began, 
but  will  show  somewhere,  somehow,  a  response  to  the  call 
of  the  new  generation  for  bread  instead  of  stones.  Praise 
is  due  them.  Yet  the  older  masters  were  not  so  graceless 
as  our  moderns  seem  to  believe.  They  grasped  some  essen- 
tials of  practical  teaching  that  this  adventurous  age  is  prone 

459884 


VI  PREFACE 

to  forget.  The  books  they  wrote  may  have  been  weighted 
with  abstractions ;  at  least  they  pubhshed  no  inchoate 
encyclopedias  of  miscellaneous  experiment.  They  were 
aware  that  there  are  principles  underlying  expression ;  they 
knew  that  a  book  on  composition,  like  a  book  on  chemistry 
or  the  theory  of  sin,  must  have  a  beginning,  a  middle,  and  an 
end.  This  they  never  forget ;  and  their  students  were  never 
allowed  to  forget  it  as  they  read. 

Is  it  possible  to  make  a  book  upon  composition  that  gets 
somewhere  definitely;  that  is  organized  —  and  yet  experi- 
mental in  its  method,  informal  in  its  treatment,  and  related 
to  English  as  it  is  written  or  spoken  rather  than  to  rhetoric 
as  the  doctrinaire  has  devised  it  in  his  brain  ?  It  is  not  only 
possible,  it  is  necessary,  if,  from  our  teaching  of  English,  we 
are  to  get  results. 

This  textbook  on  Good  English  is  offered  as  a  labor  in 
this  very  field.  It  is  offered  to  those  who  believe  with  the 
authors  that  the  teaching  of  composition  may  be  as  informal, 
as  flexible,  as  vital  as  the  living  speech  itself,  and  yet  never 
lose  sight  of  a  harmonious  development  and  a  definite  goal. 

The  plan  of  the  book  speaks  for  itself  in  the  table  of  con- 
tents. We  have  chosen  our  categories,  not  in  medieval 
fashion  from  the  logical  abstractions  of  the  subject,  but 
from  the  real  needs  of  the  youth  of  from  twelve  to  fifteen. 
Unity,  Coherence,  and  Emphasis,  or  the  Composition,  the 
Paragraph,  the  Sentence,  —  these  are  not  the  handles  by 
which  a  boy  would  grasp  expression  and  subdue  it  to  his  use. 
We  have  chosen  a  more  sympathetic  classification.  And 
once  this  change  is  made,  the  rest  is  easy.  To  be  clear,  one 
must  be  coherent,  one  must  write  good  paragraphs;  to  be 
interesting,  one  must  use  right  words ;  to  be  convincing,  one 
must  be  emphatic ;  and  thus  the  fundamental  principles 
and  divisions  of  rhetoric  come  in  when  they  are  needed,  and 


PREFACE  VU 

are  no  longer  rules  merely,  to  be  learned  and  quickly  for- 
gotten. 

Again,  Narration,  Exposition,  Argument,  Description,  — 
these  are  the  ''forms  of  discourse."  But  who  sets  out  to 
write  Narration  or  Exposition  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  unless 
commanded !  It  is  stories  we  write,  or  letters,  or  essays  on 
this  or  that.  And  in  such  a  fashion  is  this  book  arranged. 
Letters  come  first  in  each  chapter,  because  it  is  usually  in 
the  writing  of  a  letter  that  the  need  for  good  expression  is 
first  brought  home  to  the  youth.  A  letter  is  something  that 
needs  to  be  done,  not  an  exercise  merely  for  practice  under 
command.  He  feels  his  deficiencies  more  sharply  then; 
sees  most  clearly  what  full  expression  may  demand  of  him. 
Indeed,  it  is  one  task  to  teach  sentence  structure  or  para- 
graph development  for  its  own  sake  ;  it  is  another,  and  a  far 
easier  one,  to  teach  them  to  pupils  who  have  wrestled  with 
business  letters  or  explanations,  and  failed  in  clearness 
because  these  useful  tools  of  composition  were  not  adequately 
controlled.  • 

And  finally,  we  have  not  been  so  oblivious  of  psychology 
as  to  forget  that  in  every  process  of  writing  and  speaking, 
preparation  comes  first  and  expression  afterward.  Some- 
times it  is  not  possible,  or  practicable,  to  separate  them  in 
teaching;  but,  whenever  expedient,  the  lessons  that  follow 
are  constructed  with  a  view  to  the  natural  progression  from 
a  kindhng  mind  to  the  written  or  spoken  word. 

Such  is  the  idea  and  such  the  plan  of  the  book;  and  its 
text  falls  easily  and  naturally  into  lessons  with  accompany- 
ing sets  of  exercises.  To  have  made,  however,  all  the  les- 
sons exactly  identical  in  length  and  difficulty  would  have 
led  to  a  confusion  of  that  very  sense  of  unified  development 
for  which  we  have  striven.  Some  lessons  must  be  harder 
than  others  because  some  subjects  cannot  be  divided  for 


Vlll  PREFACE 

treatment  without  evident  loss.  Some  lessons  will  take 
longer  for  the  class  as  a  whole  to  master,  just  as  any  lesson 
will  be  more  difficult  for  a  few  pupils  in  each  group  than  for 
the  rest.  It  is  not  possible  to  lift  the  responsibility  for  ad- 
justing subject  matter  to  capability  from  the  shoulders  of 
the  teacher,  where  it  belongs;  but  the  division  scheme  of 
this  book  will  make  the  task  easy  and  profitable. 

The  aids  to  expression  —  grammar,  punctuation,  capitali- 
zation, spelling  —  which  are  not  composition,  and  yet  must 
be  mastered  before  or  beside  it,  have  been  given  due  weight 
in  this  text.  Sometimes  they  are  inseparable  from  an  ex- 
planation of  how  to  write  —  as  with  punctuation  in  letter 
writing  or  common  errors  in  the  revision  of  written  work  — 
and  then  they  will  be  found  in  the  lessons  where  they  belong. 
But  often  it  is  for  reference  chiefly  that  the  student  will 
need  them ;  and  therefore  these  appendices,  brief  but  com- 
prehensive, have  been  placed  together  conveniently  at  the 
end  of  the  book. 

The  Elements  of  Composition,  by  the  same  authors,  where 
the  art  and  practice  of  writing  are  set  forth  for  students 
more  mature  in  years  and  experience,  will  prove  a  good 
companion  to  this  volume.  The  two  books  have  one  ideal 
in  common:  clear  and  interested  thinking,  accurate  and 
expressive  writing,  true  and  vigorous  speaking  for  the  next 
generation  in  America. 

The  selections  from  James  T.  Fields,  John  G.  Saxe,  and 
Ehzabeth  Stuart  Phelps  are  used  by  permission  of,  and  by 
special  arrangement  with,  the  Houghton,  Mifflin  Company, 
the  authorized  publishers;  the  Lincoln  letters  are  quoted 
by  permission  of  the  Century  Company ;  and  the  Stevenson 
letter  by  permission  of  Charles  Scribner's  Sons.  The 
authors  are  also  under  obligation  to  the  following  for  their 
generous  response  to  requests  for  permission  to  use  illus- 


PREFACE  IX 

trative  material:  The  Boy  Scouts  of  America,  The  Camp 
Fire  Girls,  Mr.  Edgar  A.  Guest,  Mr.  John  A.  Moroso,  the 
editor  of  School  News,  the  editor  of  American  Educa- 
tion, American  Book  Company,  Funk  and  Wagnalls  Com- 
pany, Doubleday,  Page-  and  Company,  Russell  Sage 
Foundation,  Reilly-Britton  Company,  Macmillan  Company, 
and  the  New  York  State  Board  of  Regents. 


HOW  TO  USE   THIS  BOOK 

A  GOOD  textbook  should  not  be  a  machine;  it  should 
have  the  flexibility  and  power  of  adjustment  of  life  itself. 
It  should  be  usable  in  one  fashion  for  a  class  of  backward 
students  and  in  still  another  for  a  group  varied  in  ability; 
it  should  cap  the  needs  of  the  boy  whose  English  comes  by 
descent  and  yet  be  valuable  for  the  son  of  an  immigrant. 
Specific,  mechanical  directions  designed  to  encourage  the 
teaching  of  the  same  paragraphs  and  the  same  exercises  at 
the  same  time  and  in  the  same  sequence  for  every  student, 
everywhere,  are  not  only  impertinent,  they  attack  the  very 
principle  of  good  teaching  of  English.  It  is  not  only  me- 
chanics that  we  would  teach,  but  the  power  of  the  individual 
to  express  himself. 

General  directions,  however,  are  possible  and  may  be  of 
real  service.  The  wise  teacher  begins  a  course  in  English 
by  searching  the  minds,  the  capabilities,  and  the  deficien- 
cies of  the  class.  For  such  a  purpose.  Chapter  V  of  this 
book  will  prove  to  be  invaluable.  Test  the  class  at  the 
beginning  with  portions  of  this  chapter.  Test  them  again 
more  rigidly  at  the  end  of  the  course.  Let  them  discover 
for  themselves  what  they  have  learned  and  where  their 
education  in  English  is  still  incomplete. 

Once  you  know  your  class,  it  is  possible  to  determine  the 
length  of  lesson  and  the  character  of  exercise  best  adapted 
to  their  needs.     This  done,  the  book  lies  before  you.     It 

xi 


Xll  HOW   TO   USE  THIS  BOOK 

has  been  planned  with  the  principle  of  selection  ever  in  view. 
The  teacher  who  knows  her  class  will  find,  not  one  exercise 
that  must  be  forced  upon  every  mind,  but  many,  from  which 
she  may  select  those  that  fit.  She  will  find,  not  a  cut-and- 
dried  progression  of  subjects,  but  an  arrangement  thoroughly 
sound  and  workable,  yet  capable  of  changes  in  sequence  to 
fit  special  needs.  She  will  find,  not  sliced  sections  each  of 
which  must  constitute  a  day's  work,  but  lessons  which  em- 
brace topics  and  may  be  divided  according  to  the  rate  of 
progress  she  desires  and  the  class  can  compass.  And  the 
authors  have  spared  no  pains  to  make  these  lessons  rich  in 
illustrations  and  in  exercises,  because  they  feel  that  what  the 
teacher  wants  (and  should  want)  most  of  all  from  a  text- 
book is  good  material,  clearly  arranged,  from  which  she  can 
select. 

The  brief  introductions  are  quite  as  much  for  the  teacher 
as  the  pupil.  They  are  intended  to  serve  as  guideposts, 
pointing  the  way  along  a  logical  development  of  thought. 
The  poetry  is  for  reading  rather  than  careful  study  and 
analysis.  Few  exercises  are  based  upon  it,  but  it  will  be 
no  less  useful  for  this.  Let  the  pupil  feel  that  some  writing, 
at  least,  is  done  for  the  joy  of  it,  not  merely  to  illustrate 
the  theories  of  good  Enghsh. 

The  instruction  in  this  book,  with  certain  definite  ex- 
ceptions, is  for  both  oral  and  written  work.  Letter-writing, 
of  course,  must  be  chiefly  written,  debating,  chiefly  oral. 
But  in  the  planning  of  sentences,  paragraphs,  compositions 
in  general,  the  tongue  is  as  much  concerned  as  the  pen. 
Therefore,  in  the  majority  of  the  following  lessons,  the  pupil 
is  taught  to  feel  that  he  must  know  how  to  torite  his  thoughts, 
with  due  consideration  of  spelling,  punctuation,  and  ar- 
rangement of  parts ;  and  also  how  to  speak  his  thoughts,  with 
all  that  this  involves  as  to  enunciation,  pronunciation,  and 


HOW   TO   USE   THIS  BOOK  xiil 

voice  control.  To  separate  oral  and  written  composition, 
except  in  certain  special  fields  and  for  certain  definite  pui' 
poses,  is  a  dangerous  expedient. 

The  appendix  is  for  reference.  It  is  not  to  be  taught  by 
lessons.  Teach  it  inductively,  when  its  material  is  really 
needed  for  work  being  done  elsewhere,  or  to  make  clear  the 
many  doubtful  points  in  the  customs  of  writing  that  will 
always  trouble  the  beginner. 

In  sum,  let  your  own  personality  and  your  own  best 
methods  work  through  and  with  this  book;  let  the  needs 
of  your  class  determine  the  how  and  the  what  and  the  where 
and  the  why  in  using  it.  If  you  do  this  heartily,  you  will 
find  its  abundance,  its  logical  development,  and  its  careful 
division  into  topic  lessons  helpful  in  the  great  problem  of 
teaching  many  minds  good  English. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

PAGX 

Chapter  I.     On  Writing  and  Speaking     .         .         .         .         1 

Chapter  II.     How  to  Be  Interesting       ....         6 
Introduction  —  Lesson  1,  Friendly  Letters  —  Lesson  2, 
Form  in  Friendly  Letters  —  Lesson  3,  Punctuation  and 
Placement  of  Letter  Parts  —  Lesson  4,  Interest  in  Letters 

—  Lesson  5,  The  Envelope  —  Lesson  6,  Stories  in  Prose 
Told  in  the  Third  Person  —  Lesson  7,  Stories  in  Prose 
Told  in  the  First  Person  —  Lesson  8,  Planning  a  Story  — 
Lesson  9,  Stories  in  Poetry  Told  in  the  Third  Person  — 
Lesson  10,  Stories  in  Poetry  Told  in  the  First  Person  — 
Lesson  11,  Interest  in  Story  Telling  —  Lesson  12,  Interest 
in  Words  —  Lesson  13,  The  Dictionary  —  Lesson  14, 
Speaking  —  Lesson  15,  The  Right  Use  of  Words. 

Chapter  III.     How  to  Be  Clear 113 

Introduction  —  Lesson  16,  Business  Letters  —  Lesson 
17,  Letters  of  Application  —  Lesson  18,  Special  Business 
Letter  Forms  —  Lesson  19,  Formal  Notes  —  Lesson  20, 
The  Sentence  —  Lesson  21,  Making  Sentences  Clear, 
Unity  —  Lesson  22,  Making  Sentences  Clear,  Coherence 

—  Lesson  23,  Explanation  —  Lesson  24,  Planning  an 
Explanation  —  Lesson  25,  Other  Methods  of  Explana- 
tion —  Lesson  26,  The  Paragraph  —  Lesson  27,  Making 
Paragraphs  Clear  —  Lesson  28,  Description  —  Lesson  29, 
Planning  a  Description  —  Lesson  30,  Description  of 
People  —  Lesson  31,  Poetry  that  Explains  and  Describes 

—  Lesson  32,  Words  —  Lesson  33,  Clearness  in  Speaking. 

XV 


XVI  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Chapter  IV.  How  to  Be  Convincing  ....  229 
Introduction  —  Lesson  34,  Letters  that  Convince  — 
Lesson  35,  Special  Letters  —  Lesson  36,  Emphasis  in  the 
Sentence  —  Lesson  37,  Ar^ment  —  Lesson  38,  Plan- 
ning an  Argument  —  Lesson  39,  Poetry  that  Argues  — 
Lesson  40,  Paragraphs  that  Convince  —  Lesson  41, 
Speaking  to  Convince  —  Lesson  42,  Words  that  Convince. 

Chapter  V.     How  to  Be  Thorough  ....     288 

Introduction  —  Lesson  43,  Correcting  your  own  Com- 
positions —  Lesson  44,  Testing  your  Speech  —  Lesson  45, 
Testing  your  Words  —  Lesson  46,  Testing  your  Sentences 
—  Lesson  47,  General  Tests. 

Appendix 341 

Capitalization  —  Punctuation  —  Word    Lists  —  Re- 
view of  Grammar. 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 


*'He  held  me  close  and  I  went  to  sleep  that  way"  ...  42 

"  Don't  kill  him,  don't  kill  him,  chief ! "          ....  52 

'"Now  run!  run!'  she  cried" 59 

Tobogganing 89 

A  pass  in  hockey 112 

Making  a  goal         .        .        .        . 144 

"What  a  meal  he  can  prepare!" 167 

"Ready!" 179 

Such  turnips  I 189 

Surf  board  riding 196 

The  caddy 200 

"Out!" 207 

The  trail  blazers 220 

"Down!" 228 

On  the  skis 246 

Owl  against  robin            266 

"But  oh,  the  sweetness,  and  oh,  the  light  of  the  high-fastidious 

night!" 268 

"Votes  for  women!" 276 

Breaking  the  bronco 287 

Around  the  campfire 836 


XVI 1 


GOOD  e:n^glish 

CHAPTER  I 
ON  WRITING  AND  SPEAKING 

Language  began  when  man  still  lived  in  caves  and  fought 
for  his  life  with  wild  beasts  of  monstrous  shape. 

At  first  this  language  was  only  grunts  and  coughs  and 
birdlike  notes,  but  these  strange  noises  meant  something, 
and  it  was  this  rude  meaning  that  made  them  language. 
In  the  beginning  they  signified  little  more  than  the  purr  of 
the  cat  or  the  squeak  of  the  monkey.  But  soon  there 
must  have  been  a  sound  for  hunger ;  a  sound  for  terror  that 
came  through  the  eyes  and  for  terror  that  came  through 
the  ears ;  a  sound  for  pain  through  touch ;  a  sound  for  bad 
smells  and  for  good.  Each  of  the  five  senses  had  its  group 
of  sounds  that  carried  meaning  to  woman  as  she  crouched 
in  the  cave  listening  to  her  man  in  the  forest  without.  And 
as  together  they  fitted  sounds  to  the  feelings  of  smooth  and 
rough,  and  foul  and  sweet,  language  began  to  develop,  and 
man  came  to  differ  more  and  more  from  the  beasts. 

Ever  since,  language  has  been  growing,  always  trying  to 
express  by  fitter  sounds  the  feelings  that  touch  and  taste 
and  smell  and  sight  and  hearing  bring  to  man.  It  was  far 
more  difficult  for  savage  men  to  agree  upon  a  sound  for  the 
fire  that  warmed  them  on  bitter  days  in  their  cave,  than  for 
you  to  learn  the  hundreds  of  words  that  are  needed  to  ex- 
B  1 


2  GOOD  ENGLISH 

press  the  sensations  and  thoughts  that  come  to  you  in  an 
hour  of  civihzed  Ufe.  But  you  are  carrying  on  their  task. 
Like  them,  you  must  find  new  words. 

Long  after  the  birth  of  language,  when  civiUzation  had 
actually  begun,  came  the  next  step,  writing.  Writing  began 
as  pictures,  hieroglyphics,  as  we  call  them  when  we  see  them 
on  Aztec  monuments  or  Egyptian  obelisks  today.  The 
thing  itself  —  a  man  running  fast,  a  basket  of  corn,  a  dog, 
a  lightning  flash  —  was  rudely  pictured.  The  difficulty 
was  that  so  much  even  of  what  could  be  seen  or  tasted  could 
not  be  drawn.  And  thought  was  harder  still  to  put  into 
pictures. 

The  problem  was  solved  after  centuries.  Pictures  of 
things  became  letters  representing  sounds.  Letters  put  to- 
gether meant  sounds  put  together  into  words.  The  change 
in  our  life  that  has  come  from  steam  and  electricity  is  as 
nothing  compared  to  the  effects  wrought  by  this  simple 
invention.  But,  after  all,  our  task  in  learning  to  write  is 
not  utterly  different  from  the  iiide  barbarian's  problem. 
His  scratches  upon  stone  had  to  mean  the  right  thing, 
or  they  were  worthless.  Our  writing  must  name  our  many 
feelings  and  our  complex  thoughts  accurately,  or  it  is  a 
waste  of  time  and  space. 

Fortunately,  though  language  is  the  most  complicated 
of  all  human  instruments  (far  more  so  than  any  machine), 
it  is  not  so  hard  for  us  to  master  language  now  as  it  was 
for  men  to  make  it  in  past  ages.  Man's  language  is  much 
like  man's  automobile.  He  does  not  have  to  build  an  auto- 
mobile ;  it  is  ready  built  for  him.  He  does  not  even  have 
to  understand  the  hundred  complexities  of  valve  and  shaft 
and  bore  and  cylinder  that  went  into  its  design.  All  that 
he  must  do,  is  to  run  it.  All  he  must  know,  in  order  to  run 
it,  are  the  physical  laws  that  govern  the  action  of  his  engine 


ON   WRITING  AND  SPEAKING  3 

and  its  control ;  and  the  customs  that  direct  how  and  where 
his  car  shall  be  run.  If  he  lets  his  gasoline  tank  become 
empty,  or  tries  to  start  with  his  brake  on,  or  changes  gears 
without  slipping  out  his  clutch,  the  automobile  will  not  run. 
He  has  broken  its  laws.  If  he  turns  to  the  left  instead  of 
the  right  when  he  meets  another  car,  if  he  runs  on  the  side- 
walk instead  of  on  the  roadway,  if  he  speeds  in  a  busy  street, 
he  is  sure  to  get  into  trouble.  He  has  offended  against  the 
customs  that  govern  the  traffic  of  the  automobile. 

Just  so  with  language.  Your  object  is  not  to  learn  its 
history  so  as  to  be  able  to  create  a  new  one,  but  to  use  well 
the  language  that  centuries  of  endeavor  have  made  for  you. 
To  do  this  you  must  know  the  laws  of  language  and  the 
customs  of  language ;  and  by  much  practice  you  must  learn 
to  observe  both. 

The  great  laws  of  language  are  those  by  which  words  — 
the  names  of  ideas  or  things  —  are  built  up  into  sentences 
and  paragraphs  and  whole  compositions.  They  are  really 
the  laws  of  clear  thinking,  and  they  hold  for  all  languages 
and  all  times.  A  bad  paragraph  in  English  would  be  bad 
in  French  or  Latin  or  Spanish,  because  clear  thinking  is 
the  same  everywhere  and  always.  It  is  with  these  laws 
that  composition,  or  rhetoric  as  it  is  often  called,  is  chiefly 
concerned. 

The  lesser  laws  of  language  govern  word-building,  the 
choice  and  use  of  sounds  by  which  words  are  made;  and 
also  grammar,  the  inflections  and  other  means  by  which  the 
relations  among  words  in  a  sentence  are  shown.  These 
lesser  laws  are  really  customs  that  have  hardened  into  laws. 
Each  one  holds  good  for  its  especial  language  only,  and 
it  changes,  though  very  slowly.  English  grammar  has 
changed  in  not  a  few  details  since  the  days  of  Shakespeare. 

The  customs  of  language  are  arbitrary ;   that  is,  they  are 


4  GOOD  ENGLISH 

adopted  for  the  sake  of  convenience,  and  depend  upon  usage. 
They  change  when  the  customs  of  the  best  writers  and 
speakers  change,  which  happens  from  generation  to  gener- 
ation. SpelUng,  punctuation,  capitahzation,  and  pronun- 
ciation are  all  customs  of  language.  Look  into  a  book 
printed  in  1600  and  you  will  find  the  first  three  very  differ-  i 
ent  from  our  present  practice.  The  Englishman  of  Queen 
Anne's  day  pronounced  tea,  tay.  Chaucer's  EngUsh  would 
probably  have  sounded  to  you  like  Italian  or  French. 

The  dictionary  does  not,  as  many  think,  7nake  the  customs 
for  spelling  and  pronunciation.  It  records  what  the  best 
usage  is  today.  In  the  dictionary  you  will  find  recorded 
this  best  usage  as  regards  English  spelling  and  pronun- 
ciation. But,  of  course,  the  fact  that  these  rules  are 
customs  only  and  change  slowly  through  the  ages,  gives  you 
no  license  to  spell  and  pronounce  and  capitalize  and  punctu- 
ate as  you  please.  The  best  usage  for  the  first  three  varies 
now  very  little  and  changes  only  in  minor  details,  and  then 
slowly.  As  for  punctuation,  while  it  was  once  merely  a 
custom,  more  honored  in  the  breach  than  in  the  observance, 
it  has  become  almost  a  science,  and  is  nearly  as  important 
to  clear  writing  as  a  good  arrangement  of  clauses  in  a  sentence. 

Language  is  a  practical  instrument.  Man  has  spoken 
and  written  from  the  earliest  savage  days  until  now,  not  to 
make  a  noise,  nor  to  exhibit  his  skill  in  grammar  or  in  words, 
but  in  order  to  be  understood.  He  has  wished  to  be  inter- 
esting, to  be  clear,  to  be  convincing.  In  order  to  succeed 
he  has  found  it  necessary  to  follow  the  great  laws  of  language 
and  the  lesser  ones  also.  In  order  to  succeed,  he  has  been 
forced  to  obey  the  customs  that  governed  the  language  of 
his  time.  How  to  be  interesting,  how  to  be  clear,  how  to  be 
convincing  are  the  divisions  of  this  book;  with  a  fourth 
one  added,  how  to  be  thorough  in  carrying  out  these  inten- 


ON   WRITING  AND  SPEAKING  5 

tions  of  all  speech.  How  to  be  interesting  comes  first,  not 
because  it  is  most  important,  but  because,  instinctively,  we 
try  to  catch  our  hearer's  attention  before  we  think  of  being 
clear  or  of  convincing  people. 

Shall  you  speak,  or  shall  you  write,  in  learning  good  Eng- 
lish? You  must  do  both,  of  course.  Letter-writing,  it  is 
true,  is  a  problem  for  the  pen  chiefly.  Conversation,  debat- 
ing, and  public  speaking  are  mainly  for  the  tongue.  But 
throughout  the  lessons  that  follow  you  will  find  constant 
employment  for  each.  Thinking  comes  before  expression. 
When  you  have  thought,  then  you  may  either  speak  or  write. 
Usually,  in  what  follows,  you  will  be  asked  to  do  both.  If 
you  speak,  those  customs  of  language  which  have  to  do  with 
pronunciation  and  the  use  of  your  voice  will  be  important. 
If  you  lurite,  those  other  customs  that  govern  punctuation, 
spelling,  and  the  arrangement  of  the  written  words  upon  the 
page,  must  be  in  mind.  But  in  either  case  the  great  laws 
of  clear  thinking  apply;  and  they  must  control  whatever 
you  do,  if  you  wish  to  be  interesting,  to  be  clear,  to  be  con- 
vincing in  what  you  write  and  what  you  speak. 

In  the  appendix  to  this  book,  you  will  find  the  customs 
of  our  language  ready  for  reference  as,  like  primitive  man, 
but  with  far  more  power  and  a  far  better  instrument  of 
expression,  you  practice  writing  and  practice  speech. 


CHAPTER  II 

HOW  TO  BE  INTERESTING 

Introduction 

What  is  interest  f  How  can  you  be  interesting  when 
you  speak  and  when  you  write  ?  These  introductory  para- 
graphs will  tell  you.  The  lessons  and  the  drills  that 
follow  will  show  you  how  to  be  interesting  if  there  is  a  letter 
to  be  written  or  a  story  to  be  told. 

When  a  boy  is  interested  in  a  game,  his  eyes  are  steady, 
his  mind  is  fixed  upon  the  next  move,  every  muscle  is  ready 
to  do  its  share.  When  a  girl  is  interested  in  a  story,  her 
thoughts  pursue  the  events  as  they  happen,  she  feels  sad 
when  the  tale  is  sad,  merry  when  it  is  merry ;  she  shares  in 
the  excitement  of  the  story.  And  that  is  just  what  interest 
always  does;  it  makes  us  share  in  what  is  being  done  or 
said  or  written ;  it  rouses  us  from  the  sleepy  hollow  of  just 
living  along,  and  makes  us  pay  attention  to  things  that 
matter.  Indeed,  ''interest"  comes  from  a  Latin  word  that 
means  "it  matters"  —  it  is  important  for  you,  it  makes 
some  difference  to  you,  you  must  pay  attention  or  lose  some- 
thing worth  while. 

No  one  needs  to  be  told  how  useful  it  would  be  to  get 
attention  always  for  whatever  is  written  or  said.  If  your 
stories  were  always  listened  to,  if  your  letters  were  always 
read  with  interest,  if  every  one  were  eager  to  hear  whatever 

6 


HOW   TO  BE  INTERESTING  7 

information  you  might  have  to  give  —  well,  the  world  would 
seem  a  very  Idndly  place.  Moreover,  what  could  possibly 
be  more  valuable,  when  the  time  came  to  make  a  living, 
than  to  know  how  to  get  the  attention  of  older  men  and 
women  !    But  how  can  you  get  people  to  listen  to  you  ? 

The  easiest  way,  but  unfortunately  not  a  very  practical 
one,  is  to  be  an  important  person.  Ex-Presidents  of  the 
United  States,  for  example,  usually  write  and  speak  easily, 
having  had  plenty  of  practice;  but  even  if  they  talked 
badly  they  would  get  our  attention,  just  because  of  their 
personal  distinction. 

You,  who  are  not  yet  distinguished,  can  count  on  no  such 
easy  way  of  being  interesting.  You  cannot  talk  badly  and 
hold  the  attention  of  your  hearers.  Your  talk  must  be 
good,  your  writing  must  be  good.  Two  people  tell  a  story. 
One  tells  it  clearly,  simply,  effectively,  bringing  out  the 
point;  the  other  starts  at  the  wrong  place  and  has  to  go 
back,  gives  away  the  plot  before  he  is  well  started,  and 
mumbles  off  finally  into  awkward  silence.  They  tell  the 
same  story,  but  with  very  different  results.  In  short,  you 
must  speak  well  and  write  well,  if  you  would  be  interesting. 

Good  speaking  and  good  writing,  however,  will  never  of 
themselves  be  interesting,  or,  at  least,  not  for  long.  Your 
thoughts,  your  observations,  your  experiences,  whatever 
you  have  to  tell  or  to  write,  must  be  interesting  in  them- 
selves, or  your  words,  no  matter  how  well  chosen,  and  your 
sentences,  no  matter  how  clear,  will  never  be  interesting. 
The  old  ballads  that  the  English  peasants  sang  are  rough 
and  simple,  but  they  are  far  more  interesting  than  many 
modern  poems  just  because  the  stories  they  tell  are  so  full 
of  life  and  interest.  The  speaker  at  a  political  meeting 
who  thinks  out  a  new  argument  for  his  party  will  be  listened 
to,  even  if  he  speaks  crudely,  while  some  polished  orator, 


8  GOOD  ENGLISH 

who  has  more  words  on  his  tongue  than  thoughts  in  his 
head,  will  lose  the  attention  of  his  audience  five  minutes 
after  he  has  begun  to  speak. 

It  is  important,  then,  that  subject  matter  be  interesting. 
How  do  you  know  when  it  is  interesting  ?  When  it  interests 
you.  If  it  does  not  interest  you,  you  will  never  make  it 
interesting  to  others.  Write  when  you  have  something 
worth  writing  about,  speak  when  you  have  something  worth 
saying,  and  your  friends  will  read  your  letters  eagerly  and 
listen  to  you  with  attention.  They  will  be  glad  to  share 
in  thoughts  and  experiences  that  have  aroused  your  atten- 
tion. The  naturalist,  in  the  old  story,  sought  over  half 
the  world  for  the  rare  flower  he  needed  to  complete  his 
collection,  and  coming  home,  empty-handed,  found  it  bloom- 
ing in  his  own  garden.  You  will  best  learn  to  interest  other 
people  by  searching  in  your  mind  for  the  thoughts  and  memories 
that  interest  you. 

LESSON  ONE 

Friendly  Letters 

A  friendly  letter  is  hardly  worth  reading  unless  it  is  inter- 
esting. Furthermore,  your  first  real  need  for  being  interesting 
in  written  words  comes  when  you  write  letters  to  your  family 
and  your  friends.  Read  the  following  letters  carefully, 
decide  whether  they  are  interesting  and  why,  and  be  able 
to  tell  what  you  have  read. 

Helen  Keller  to  the  Editor  of  St.  Nicholas  * 

Dear  St.  Nicholas,  —  It  gives  me  very  great  pleasure  to 
send  you  my  autograph  because  I  want  the  boys  and  girls  who 
read  St.  Nicholas  to  know  how  blind  children  write.     I  suppose 

*  Used  by  special  permission  of  The  Century  Company. 


HOW   TO  BE  INTERESTING  9 

some  of  them  wonder  how  we  keep  the  Hnes  so  straight  so  I  will 
try  to  tell  them  how  it  is  done.  We  have  a  grooved  board  which 
we  put  between  the  pages  when  we  wish  to  write.  The  parallel 
grooves  correspond  to  Unes,  and  when  we  have  pressed  the  paper 
into  them  by  means  of  the  blunt  end  of  the  pencil,  it  is  very  easy 
to  keep  the  words  even.  The  small  letters  are  all  made  in  the 
grooves,  while  the  long  ones  extend  above  and  below  them.  We 
guide  the  pencil  with  the  right  hand,  and  feel  carefully  with  the 
forefinger  of  the  left  hand  to  see  that  we  shape  and  space  the 
letters  correctly.  It  is  very  difficult  at  first  to  form  them  plainly, 
but  if  we  keep  on  trying  it  gradually  becomes  easier,  and  after  a 
great  deal  of  practice  we  can  write  legible  letters  to  our  friends. 
Then  we  are  very,  very  happy.  Some  time  they  may  visit  a  school 
for  the  blind.     If  they  do,  I  am  sure  they  will  wish  to  see  the  pupils 

write. 

Very  sincerely  your  little  friend, 

Helen  Keller. 

Lewis  Carroll^  to  Gertrude 
Christ  Church,  Oxford,  October  13,  1875. 

My  dear  Gertrude,  —  I  never  give  birthday  presents,  but  you 
see  I  do  sometimes  write  a  birthday  letter :  so,  as  I've  just  arrived 
here,  I  am  writing  this  to  wish  you  many  and  many  a  happy  return 
of  your  birthday  tomorrow.  I  will  drink  your  health  if  only  I 
can  remember,  and  if  you  don't  mind  —  but  perhaps  you  object? 

You  see,  if  I  were  to  sit  by  you  at  breakfast,  and  to  drink  your 
tea,  you  wouldn't  hke  that,  would  you?  You  would  say,  ''Boo! 
hoo !  Here's  Mr.  Dodgson  drunk  all  my  tea,  and  I  haven't  got  any 
left!"  So  I  am  very  much  afraid,  next  time  Sybil  looks  for  you, 
she'll  find  you  sitting  by  the  sad  sea  waves  and  crying  "Boo !  hoo ! 
Here's  Mr.  Dodgson  has  drunk  my  health,  and  I  haven't  got  any 
left!" 

And  how  it  will  puzzle  Mr.  Maund,  when  he  is  sent  for  to  see  you ! 
"My  dear  madam,  I'm  sorry  to  say  your  little  girl  has  got  no  health 

*  Author  of  Alice's  Adventures  in  Wonderland.  Used  by  courtesy  of  The 
Century  Company. 


10  GOOD  ENGLISH 

at  all !  I  never  saw  such  a  thing  in  my  life ! "  "  You  see  she  would 
go  and  make  friends  with  a  strange  gentleman,  and  yesterday  he 
drank  her  health!"  "Well,  Mrs.  Chataway,"  he  .will  say,  "the 
only  way  to  cure  her  is  to  wait  till  his  next  birthday,  and  then  for 
her  to  drink  his  health." 

And  then  we  shall  have  changed  healths.  I  wonder  how  you'll 
like  mine!  Oh,  Gertrude,  I  wish  you  would  not  talk  such  non- 
sense !  .  .  .    Your  loving  friend, 

Lewis  Carroll. 

Charles  Dickens  to  Mrs.  James  T.  Fields 

Gad's  Hill,  Higham,  by  Rochester,  Kent, 

May  25,  1868. 
My  dear  Mrs.  Fields,  —  As  you  ask  me  about  the  dogs, 
I  begin  with  them.  When  I  came  down  first,  I  came  to  Gravesend, 
five  miles  off.  The  two  Newfoundland  dogs,  coming  to  meet  me 
with  the  usual  carriage  and  the  usual  driver,  and  beholding  me 
coming  in  my  usual  dress  out  at  the  usual  door,  it  struck  me  that 
their  recollection  of  my  having  been  absent  for  any  unusual  time 
was  at  once  canceled.  They  behaved  (they  are  both  young  dogs) 
exactly  in  their  usual  manner ;  coming  behind  the  basket  phaeton 
as  we  trotted  along,  and  lifting  their  heads  to  have  their  ears 
pulled  —  a  special  attention  which  they  receive  from  no  one  else. 
But  when  I  drove  into  the  stable  yard,  Linda  (the  St.  Bernard)  was 
greatly  excited;  weeping  profusely,  and  throwing  herself  on  her 
back,  that  she  might  caress  my  foot  with  her  great  fore  paws. 
Mamie's  little  dog,  too,  Mrs.  Bouncer,  barked  in  the  greatest  agi- 
tation on  being  called  down  and  asked  by  Mamie,  "Who  is  this?" 
and  tore  roimd  and  round  me,  like  the  dog  in  the  Faust  outlines. 
You  must  know  that  all  the  farmers  turned  out  on  the  road  in  their 
market  chaises  to  say,  "Welcome  home,  sir!"  and  that  all  the 
houses  along  the  road  were  dressed  with  flags ;  and  that  our  ser- 
vants, to  cut  the  rest,  had  dressed  this  house  so  that  every  brick 
of  it  was  hidden.  They  had  asked  Mamie's  permission  to  "ring 
the  alarm  bell"  ( ! )  when  master  drove  up,  but  Mamie,  having  some 


HOW   TO  BE  INTERESTING  11 

slight  idea  that  that  compUment  might  awaken  master's  sense  of 
the  ludicrous,  had  recommended  bell  abstinence.  But  on  Sunday 
the  village  choir  (which  includes  the  bell  ringers)  made  amends. 
After  some  unusually  brief  pious  reflections  in  the  crowns  of  their 
hats,  at  the  end  of  the  sermon,  the  ringers  bolted  ou",  and  rang 
like  mad  until  I  got  home.  There  had  been  a  conspiracy  among 
the  villagers  to  take  the  horse  out,  if  I  had  come  to  our  own  sta- 
tion, and  draw  me  here.  Mamie  ^  and  Georgy  ^  had  got  wind  of 
it  and  warned  me. 

Divers  birds  sing  here  all  day,  and  the  nightingales  all  night. 
The  place  is  lovely,  and  in  perfect  order.  I  have  put  five  mirrors 
in  the  Swiss  chalet  (where  I  write),  and  they  reflect  and  refract 
in  all  kinds  of  ways  the  leaves  that  are  quivering  at  the  windows, 
and  the  great  fields  of  waving  corn,  and  the  sail-dotted  river.  My 
room  is  up  among  the  branches  of  the  trees,  and  the  birds  and  the 
butterflies  fly  in  and  out,  and  the  green  branches  shoot  in,  at  the 
open  windows,  and  the  lights  and  shadows  of  the  clouds  come  and  go 
with  the  rest  of  the  company.  The  scent  of  the  flowers,  and  indeed 
of  everything  that  is  growing  for  miles  and  miles,  is  most  delicious. . . . 

Ever,  my  dear  Mrs.  Fields,  your  most  affectionate  friend, 

Charles  Dickens. 

Robert  Louis  Stevenson  to  a  Child  ^ 

Tautira,  Island  op  Tahitl  [November,  1888.] 
Dear  Tomarcher,^  —  This  is  a  pretty  state  of  things !  seven 
o'clock  and  no  word  of  breakfast !  And  I  was  awake  a  good  deal 
last  night,  for  it  was  full  moon,  and  they  had  made  a  great  fire  of 
cocoanut  husks  down  by  the  sea,  and  as  we  have  no  bhnds  or  shut- 
ters, this  kept  my  room  very  bright.  And  then  the  rats  had  a 
wedding  or  a  school-feast  under  my  bed.  And  then  I  woke  early, 
and  I  have  nothing  to  read  except  Virgil's  /Eneid,  which  is  not  good 
fun  on  an  empty  stomach,  and  a  Latin  dictionary,  which  is  good 

1  His  children. 

'Used  by  permission  of  Charles  Scribner's  Sons. 

'Son  of  William  Archer,  the  English  dramatic  critic. 


12  GOOD  ENGLISH 

for  naught,  and  by  some  humorous  accident,  your  dear  papa's 
article  on  Skerry vore.  And  I  read  the  whole  of  that,  and  vtry 
impudent  it  is,  but  you  must  not  tell  your  dear  papa  I  said  so,  or 
it  might  come  to  a  battle  in  which  you  might  lose  either  a  dear 
papa  or  a  valued  correspondent,  or  both,  which  would  be  prodigal. 
And  still  no  breakfast ;  so  I  said  "Let's  write  to  Tomarcher." 

This  is  a  much  better  place  for  children  than  any  I  have  hitherto 
seen  in  these  seas.  The  girls  (and  sometimes  the  boys)  play  a 
very  elaborate  kind  of  hopscotch.  The  boys  play  horses  exactly 
as  we  do  in  Europe ;  and  have  very  good  fun  on  stilts,  trying  to 
knock  each  other  down,  in  which  they  do  not  often  succeed.  The 
children  of  all  ages  go  to  church  and  are  allowed  to  do  what  they 
please,  running  about  the  aisles,  roHing  balls,  steaHng  mamma's 
bonnet  and  pubhcly  sitting  on  it,  and  at  last  going  to  sleep  in  the 
middle  of  the  floor.  I  forgot  to  say  that  the  whips  to  play  horses, 
and  the  balls  to  roll  about  the  church,  —  at  least  I  never  saw  them 
used  elsewhere,  —  grow  ready-made  on  trees ;  which  is  rough  on 
toy-shops.  The  whips  are  so  good  that  I  wanted  to  play  horses 
myself ;  but  no  such  luck !  my  hair  is  grey,  and  I  am  a  great,  big, 
ugly  man.  The  balls  are  rather  hard,  but  very  light  and  quite 
round.  When  you  grow  up  and  become  offensively  rich,  you  can 
charter  a  ship  in  the  port  of  London,  and  have  it  come  back  to  you 
entirely  loaded  with  these  balls,  when  you  could  satisfy  your  mind 
as  to  their  character,  and  give  them  away  when  done  with  to  your 
uncles  and  aunts.  But  what  I  really  wanted  to  tell  you  was  this : 
besides  the  tree-top  toys  (Hush-a-by,  toy-shop,  on  the  tree-top !), 
I  have  seen  some  real  made  toys,  the  first  hitherto  observed  in  the 
South  Seas. 

This  was  how.  You  are  to  imagine  a  four-wheeled  gig;  one 
horse ;  in  the  front  seat  two  Tahiti  natives,  in  their  Sunday  clothes, 
blue  coat,  white  shirt,  kilt  (a  little  longer  than  the  Scotch)  of  a 
blue  stuff  with  big  white  or  yellow  flowers,  legs  and  feet  bare ;  in 
the  back  seat  me  and  my  wife,  who  is  a  friend  of  yours ;  under  our 
feet,  plenty  of  lunch  and  things :  among  us  a  great  deal  of  fun  in 
broken  Tahitian,  one  of  the  natives,  the  subchief  of  the  village, 
being  a  great  ally  of  mine.    Indeed  we  have  exchanged  names; 


HOW  TO  BE  INTERESTING  13 

so  that  he  is  now  called  Rui,  the  nearest  they  can  come  to  Louis, 
for  they  have  no  I  and  no  s  in  their  language.  Rui  is  six  feet  three 
in  his  stockings,  and  a  magnificent  man.  We  all  have  straw  hats, 
for  the  sun  is  strong.  We  drive  between  the  sea,  which  makes  a 
great  noise,  and  the  mountains;  the  road  is  cut  through  a  forest 
mostly  of  fruit  trees,  the  very  creepers,  which  take  the  place  of 
our  ivy,  heavy  with  a  great  and  delicious  fruit,  bigger  than  your 
head  and  far  nicer,  called  Barbedine.  Presently  we  came  to  a 
house  in  a  pretty  garden,  quite  by  itself,  very  nicely  kept,  the  doors 
and  windows  open,  no  one  about,  and  no  noise  but  that  of  the  sea. 
It  looked  Uke  a  fairy  tale,  and  just  beyond  we  must  ford  a  river, 
and  there  we  saw  the  inhabitants.  Just  in  the  mouth  of  the  river, 
where  it  met  the  sea  waves,  they  were  ducking  and  bathing  and 
screaming  together  like  a  covey  of  birds :  seven  or  eight  little  naked 
brown  boys  and  girls  as  happy  as  the  day  was  long;  and  on  the 
banks  of  the  stream  beside  them,  real  toys  —  toy  ships,  full  rigged, 
and  with  their  sails  set,  though  they  were  lying  in  the  dust  on  their 
beam  ends.  And  then  I  knew  for  sure  they  were  all  children  in  a 
fairy  story,  living  alone  together  in  that  lonely  house  with  the 
only  toys  in  all  the  island ;  and  that  I  had  myself  driven,  in  my  four- 
wheeled  gig,  into  a  corner  of  the  fairy  story,  and  the  question  was, 
should  I  get  out  again  ?  But  it  was  all  right ;  I  guess  only  one  of 
the  wheels  of  the  gig  had  got  into  the  fairy  story;  and  the  next 
jolt  the  whole  thing  vanished,  and  we  drove  on  in  our  seaside  forest 
as  before,  and  I  have  the  honor  to  be  Tomarcher's  valued  corre- 
spondent, Teriitera.,  which  he  was  previously  known  as 

Robert  Louis  Stevenson. 

Abraham  Lincoln  to  Miss  Fanny  McCullough 

December  23,  1862. 
Dear  Fanny  :  It  is  with  deep  regret  that  I  learn  of  the  death 
of  your  kind  and  brave  father,  and  especially  that  it  is  affecting 
your  young  heart  beyond  what  is  common  in  such  cases.  In  this 
sad  world  of  ours  sorrow  comes  to  all,  and  to  the  young  it  comes 
with  bittered  agony  because  it  takes  them  unawares.     The  older 


14  GOOD  ENGLISH 

have  learned  ever  to  expect  it.  I  am  anxious  to  afford  some  allevia- 
tion of  your  present  distress.  Perfect  relief  is  not  possible  except 
with  time.  You  cannot  now  realize  that  you  will  ever  feel  better. 
Is  not  this  so  ?  And  yet  it  is  a  mistake.  You  are  sure  to  be  happy 
again.  To  know  this,  which  is  certainly  true,  will  make  you  som>. 
less  miserable  now.  I  have  had  experience  enough  to  know  what 
I  say,  and  you  need  only  to  beheve  it  to  feel  better  at  once.  The 
memory  of  your  dear  father,  instead  of  an  agony,  will  be  yet  a  sad, 
sweet  feeling  in  your  heart,  of  a  purer  and  holier  sort  than  you  have 
known  before. 
Please  present  my  kind  regards  to  your  afflicted  mother. 

Your  sincere  friend, 

A.  Lincoln. 

Thomas  Hood  to  his  Daughter 

Halle,  October  23,   1837. 
My  dear  Fanny, — 

I  hope  you  are  as  good  still  as  when  I  went  away  —  a  com- 
fort to  your  good  mother  and  a  kind  playfellow  to  your  Httle 
brother.  Mind  you  tell  him  my  horse  eats  bread  out  of  my  hand, 
and  walks  up  to  the  officers  who  are  eating,  and  pokes  his  nose 
into  the  women's  baskets.  I  wish  I  could  give  you  both  a  ride. 
I  hope  you  liked  your  paints;  pray  keep  them  out  of  Tom's 
way,  as  they  are  poisonous.  I  shall  have  rare  stories  to  tell  you 
when  I  come  home;  but  mind,  you  must  be  good  till  then,  or  I 
shall  be  as  mute  as  a  stock-fish.  Your  mama  will  show  you  on  the 
map  where  I  was  when  I  wrote  this ;  and  when  she  writes  will  let 
you  put  in  a  word.  You  would  have  laughed  to  have  seen  your 
friend  Wildegans  running  after  the  sausage-boy  to  buy  a  wurst} 
There  was  hardly  an  officer  without  one  in  his  hand  smoking  hot. 
The  men  piled  their  gims  on  the  grass,  and  sat  by  the  side  of  the 
road,  all  munching  at  once  like  ogres.  I  had  a  pocket  full  of  bread 
and  butter,  which  soon  went  into  my  'cavities,'  as  Mrs.  Dilke  calls 
them.    I  only  hope  I  shall  not  get  so  hungry  as  to  eat  my  horse. 

1  Sausage. 


HOW   TO  BE  INTERESTING  15 

I  know  I  need  not  say,  keep  school  and  mind  your  book,  as  you 
love  to  learn.    You  can  have  Minna  sometimes,  her  papa  says. 
Now  God  bless  you,  my  dear  little  girl,  my  pet,  and  think  of 

Your  loving  father, 

Thomas  Hood. 

PRACTICE 

1.  Which  of  the  above  letters  is  the  most  interesting  to  you? 

What  makes  it  so  ? 

2.  From  which  of  the  letters  do  you  get  most  information?     Tell 

just  what  you  have  learned  from  it. 

3.  After  reading  each  of  these  letters,  what  can  you  tell  of  the 

writer?     Of  the  one  written  to? 

4.  Explain  the  words  phaeton,  chaise,  refract,  in  the  Dickens  let- 

ter. 

5.  Which  of  the  letters  seems  to  you  to  have  the  most  interesting 

subject  matter?     Which  is  the  best  written  one? 

6.  How  do  all  of  these  letters  differ  from  letters  that  are  written 

to  a  shop  ordering  goods  or  from  letters  of  application? 
Why  are  these  called  friendly  or  informal  letters  and  those 
on  pages  116-120,  business  letters? 

7.  Notice  carefully  how  each  one  of  these  excellent  letter  writers 

addresses  the  person  to  whom  he  is  writing  and  how  he  closes 
his  letter.     Point  out  the  differences  in  both  these  respects. 


LESSON   TWO 

Form  in  Friendly  Letters 

Study  the  last  letter  above  from  the  point  of  view  of 
form. 

The  place  and  time  of  writing  are  given  first,  — 

Halle,  October  23,  1837. 

This  is  called  the  heading.     It  may  be  written  in  various 
ways,  as,  — 


16  GOOD  ENGLISH 

Halle, 
October  23,  1837. 


10  Wabash  Avenue, 
Chicago,  Illinois, 
April  12,  1918. 

15  Queen's  Terrace, 
Exeter,  England, 
February  5,  1918. 

14  State  Street 
Boston,  Mass. 
May  13,  1918 

243  Market  Street 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,  May  3,  1918 

It  may  occupy  one  line,  two  lines,  or  three  lines,  and  it 
may  be  arranged  in  still  other  ways.  In  the  business  letter 
it  is  usually  placed  in  the  upper  right-hand  corner;  but 
in  the  friendly  letter  it  may  be  placed  either  here  or  in  the 
lower  left-hand  corner,  below  the  signature. 

My  dear  Fanny  is  the  salutation.  It  must  be  placed 
on  the  left-hand  side  of  the  letter  on  a  line  below  the  head- 
ing.    Other  forms  of  salutation  are,  — 

Dear  Fanny,        My  dear  John  —        Dear  Brother,  — 

Notice  that  the  salutation  may  consist  of  either  two  or 
three  words.  It  is  preferable  not  to  capitalize  dear  when 
it  stands  as  the  middle  word  in  a  salutation.     In  friendly 


HOW   TO  BE  INTERESTING  17 

letters  the  salutation  is  usually  followed  by  a  comma.  It 
may  be  followed,  however,  by  a  dash,  or  by  a  comma  and  a 
dash.  The  colon  is  rarely  used  after  the  salutation  in 
friendly  letters.  It  is  usually  placed  after  the  salutation 
in  business  letters,  as,  — 

Dear  Sir :  Sir :  My  dear  Sir  * 

Dear  Sirs  :  Madam :  Gentlemen  : 

The  semicolon  is  never  used  after  the  salutation. 

That  part  of  a  letter  which  follows  the  salutation  is 
called  the  body.  It  may  follow  on  the  same  line  with  the 
salutation,  or  it  may  start  on  the  line  below,  immediately 
at  the  end  of  the  salutation.  This  is  the  letter  proper,  — 
the  part  that  contains  the  message  of  interest.  It  should 
be  written  neatly  and  plainly.  It  should  be  carefully 
paragraphed,  particularly  if  the  letter  is  long.  There  should 
be  a  liberal  and  regular  left-hand  margin;  there  should 
also  be  a  right-hand  margin,  though  it  is  impossible  to  keep 
this  margin  quite  regular. 

The  content  of  the  letter  should  be  expressed  naturally, 
without  any  affectation  whatever.  If,  when  your  friend 
or  relative  reads  your  letter,  he  exclaims,  ''That's  just  like 
the  fellow!"  he  pays  you  a  compliment  as  a  letter  writer. 

That  part  of  a  letter  which  follows  the  body  is  called  the 
complimentary  closing.     In  the  Hood  letter  above  it  is,  — 

Your  loving  father. 

Other  forms  of  complimentary  closing  are,  — 

Your  son.  Cordially  yours, 

Your  friend.  Faithfully  yours, 

Yours  sincerely.  Very  truly  yours. 

The  form  of  the  complimentary  closing  in  friendly  letters 
depends  upon  the  relation  between  the  writer  and  the  one 


18  GOOD  ENGLISH 

written  to.  Very  truly  yours,  Sincerely  yours,  Cordially 
yours,  are  used  when  the  two  are  not  closely  related.  More 
intimate  forms  are  used  in  writing  to  members  of  your  own 
family  and  to  intimate  friends.  Very  truly  yours,  or 
Yours  very  truly,  is  the  most  common  complimentary 
closing  in  business  letters.  The  complimentary  closing 
is  always  followed  by  a  comma;  the  first  word  only  is 
capitalized. 

The  signature  follows  the  complimentary  closing  and  is 
set  in  slightly  to  the  left.  It  may  or  may  not  be  followed 
by  a  period.  It  is  better  to  sign  your  name  in  full,  so  that 
the  letter  may  be  returned  to  you  in  case  it  is  lost.  Fre- 
quently, however,  the  first  name  or  a  nickname  only  is 
signed  here,  especially  if  the  letter  is  to  one  with  whom 
you  are  on  intimate  terms. 

The  parts  of  a  letter  therefore  consist  of,  — 

1.  Heading 

Place 
Date 

2.  Salutation 

Greeting 

3.  Body 

Message  or 
Letter  content 

4.  Complimentary  closing 

5.  Signature  or  name 

A  sixth  part  is  always  included  in  business  letters,  namely, 
the  address  of  the  one  written  to.  This  is  usually  placed 
just  above  the  salutation  on  a  line  below  the  last  line  of  the 
heading,  thus,  — 


HOW   TO  BE  INTERESTING  19 


125  Hargrave  Ave., 
Los  Angeles,  Cal., 
October  19,  1917. 


James  Turner,  Esq., 
18  Market  Street, 
St.  Louis,  Mo. 

My  dear  Sir : 


It  is  best  to  include  this  address  in  friendly  letters  also. 
When  included,  it  should  be  placed  in  the  lower  left-hand 
corner  of  the  letter,  on  a  line  directly  beneath  the  signa- 
ture, thus,  — 


Cordially  yours, 
James  Everett. 


Miss  Sara  Everett, 
Asheville, 

North  Carolina. 


20 


GOOD  ENGLISH 


The  whole  letter  picture  may  now  be  summarized  as 
follows ;  note  especially  the  placement  of  the  various 
parts :  — 


Heading 

418  High  Street, 
Ithaca,  New  York, 
October  20,  1917. 

Salutation 

My  dear  Clara, 

Body 

"■ 

Compli- 
mentary 
dosing 
Signature 

Address 

Miss  Clara  Force, 
130  West  80  Street, 
New  York  City. 

Yours  faithfully, 
Mary  Brady 

Just  as  we  may  be  informal  in  the  presence  of  our  intimate 
friends  and  in  our  conversation  with  them,  so  we  may  be 
informal  in  the  letters  we  write  them.  All  the  letters  above 
do  not  comply  with  the  directions  here  set  down.  Liberties 
have  been  taken.  It  is  a  good  rule,  however,  never  to  ignore 
accepted  standards  altogether  in  friendly  letters.     If,  for 


HOW   TO  BE  INTERESTING  21 

instance,  the  full  name  and  address  of  the  writer  of  a  letter 
are  omitted;  the  letter,  if  it  is  not  deUvered,  cannot  be  re- 
turned to  the  sender.  The  name  and  address  of  the  writer, 
as  well  as  of  the  one  written  to,  should  be  given  in  all  letters. 

PRACTICE 

1.  Name  the  parts  of  a  letter.     Tell  where  each  belongs  in  the 

make-up  of  the  letter. 

2.  Draw  a  diagram  showing,  by  means  of  lines,  the  relative  place- 

ment and  size  of  the  letter  parts. 

3.  Of  what  items  does  the  heading  consist?    At  what  two  posi- 

tions in  a  letter  may  it  be  placed? 

4.  Where  should  the  salutation  be  placed?     How  should  it  be 

punctuated  ? 

5.  Explain  the  capitaUzation  and  the  punctuation  of  the  compli- 

mentary closing. 

6.  What  is  meant  by  the  body  of  a  letter  ?     Where  should  it  begin  ? 

7.  Is  the  address  used  in  a  friendly  letter?     Where  should  it  be 

placed  ? 

8.  Explain  why  the  foregoing  rules  about  letter  writing  are  im- 

portant. 

9.  You  have  just  returned  from  a  visit  to  a  friend.     Write  an  ap- 

propriate letter  to  her.  (A  letter  such  as  this,  written  in 
acknowledgment  of  hospitahty,  is  sometimes  called  a  "bread- 
and-butter"  letter.) 

10.  Your  school  is  to  give  a  special  entertainment  on  a  certain  date. 

Write  to  a  friend  asking  her  to  be  your  guest. 

11.  Write  to  her  again,  telUng  her  how  to  reach  your  house  from 

hers,  or  your  town  from  the  town  in  which  she  Kves. 

12.  Write  your  friend's  reply  to  the  invitation. 

13.  Write  a  friendly  request  to  your  teacher  asking  to  be  excused 

from  a  recitation  and  giving  reasons  therefor. 

14.  Write  the  teacher's  reply  to  your  request,  granting  it. 

15.  Write  a  letter  to  your  favorite  author,  telling  him  what  you 

enjoy  most  in  his  books. 


22  GOOD  ENGLISH 

16.  Write  an  imaginary  letter  from  one  well-known  character  in  a 

novel  or  play  to  another. 

17.  Nothing  interesting  has  happened  for  a  week.     Write  a  letter 

to  a  friend  which  will  make  him  beheve  it. 

18.  There  is  one  day  above  all  others  most  interesting  in  your  life. 

Write  a  letter  to  a  friend  that  will  make  it  seem  so. 


LESSON  THREE 

Punctuation  and  Placement  of  Letter  Parts 

You  may  mar  the  interest  and  the  purpose  of  your  letter 
if  you  are  not  careful  to  punctuate  it  accurately.  The 
comma  should  be  used,  — 

(1)  To  denote  the  omission  of  words,  — 

120  Lenox  Avenue, 
New  York  City, 
May  25,  1918. 

Here  the  comma  takes  the  place  of  an  omitted  on  or  in. 
Expanded,  the  full  heading  would  read,  — 

120  Lenox  Avenue,  in 
New  York  City  on 
Mdiy  2b  during  \^\%, 

(2)  To  denote  apposition,  — 

Yours  sincerely, 
James  Ferguson. 

The  name  or  signature  is  in  apposition  with  Yours  sincerely 
and  should  be  separated  from  it  by  the  comma. 

(3)  To  denote  something  to  follow.  The  comma  may  thus 
be  used  after  the  salutation,  which  is  a  form  of  address  in- 
dicating that  something  is  to  follow,  thus,  — 

Dear  Tom, 


HOW   TO  BE  INTERESTING  23 

As  pointed  out  above,  the  dash,  or  the  comma  and  the  dash, 
the  colon,  or  the  colon  and  the  dash,  may  be  used  with  the 
same  purpose.  The  last  two  are  considered  more  formal 
than  the  first  two;  they  are  therefore  not  so  commonly 
used  in  friendly  letters.  Never  make  the  mistake  of  plac- 
ing a  period  or  a  semicolon  after  the  salutation. 

The  period  should  be  used  after  abbreviations,  such  as, 
St.,  Ave.,  N.  Y.,  Pa.,  Colo.,  etc. 

There  is  a  growing  tendency  to  omit  all  punctuation  at 
the  ends  of  lines  in  headings  and  addresses,  except  after 
abbreviations.  But  if  you  omit  punctuation,  omit  it  con- 
sistently at  the  ends  of  all  lines  in  the  heading,  and  also  in 
the  address  both  within  the  letter  and  on  the  envelope. 
If  you  are  inconsistent  in  this,  you  will  be  considered  care- 
less and  slovenly. 

100  Broadway, 
New  York  City, 
May  3,  1918. 

or 

100  Broadway 
New  York  City 
May  3,  1918 

not 

100  Broadway, 
New  York  City 
May  3  1918. 

Be  consistent  also  in  the  arrangement  of  the  letter  parts. 
If  you  use  a  vertical  margin  for  the  heading,  use  it  also  in 
all  other  parts  in  the  letter  and  in  the  address  on  the  en- 
velope, thus,  — 


24  GOOD  ENGLISH 


100  Broadway, 
New  York  City, 
May  3,  1918. 

James  Ferguson,  Esq., 
114  State  Street, 

Boston,  Mass. 

My  dear  Mr.  Ferguson : 

Very  truly  yours, 

Thomas  Everett. 

But  if  you  begin  with  the  diagonal  arrangement,  thus,  — 

100  Broadway, 
New  York  City, 
May  5,  1918. 

keep  to  this  arrangement,  as  in  the  letter  form  on  page  20. 

You  should  so  place  the  parts  of  your  letter  that  they  will 
present  a  consistent  and  harmonious  picture.  Never  be 
careless  about  the  form  of  a  letter,  even  when  writing  to 
your  most  intimate  friends.  Courtesy  demands  that  you 
make  your  letter  pleasant  to  see  as  well  as  to  read. 


HOW  TO  BE  INTERESTING  25 

PRACTICE 

1.  State  three  rules  for  the  use  of  the  comma  that  apply  particu- 

larly to  letter  writing. 

2.  State  one  rule  for  the  use  of  the  period  that  applies  particularly 

to  letter  writing. 

3.  What  caution  can  you  give  as  to  the  omission  of  punctuation 

from  the  parts  of  a  letter? 

4.  What  is  meant  by  the  placement  of  parts  in  a  letter? 

5.  Correct  the  following  heading :  — 

215  State  St. 
Chicago  lU. 
Oct.  10,  1917. 

6.  Correct  the  following  salutations :  — 

Dear  Bill. 
Dear  Mother ; 

7.  Correct  the  following  letter  picture  :  — 


18  Park  Place 
Brooklyn 
New  York     Jan.  2,  1918. 

Dear  Father  — 

Yours  truly 

BiU 

26  GOOD  ENGLISH 

8.  Test  the  letters  in  Lesson  One  for  accuracy  in  punctuation  ana 

placement. 

9.  Test  the  letters  you  wrote  under  Lesson  Two  for  accuracy  in 

punctuation  and  placement. 
10.   Is  it  allowable  to  take  liberties  with  letter  punctuation  and 
placement  in  writing  to  your  intimate  friends?     Explain 
in  what  respects. 


LESSON   FOUR 

Interest  in  Letters 

You  should  remember  from  the  first  chapter  of  this  book 
that  good  writing  has  its  laws  and  its  customs,  the  first 
controlling  the  way  in  which  thought  turns  itself  into  words, 
the  second  having  to  do  merely  with  the  forms  of  punctua- 
tion, spelling,  and  capitalization,  that  general  usage  has 
determined  for  us.  In  the  two  preceding  lessons  you  have 
been  studying  the  accepted  customs  of  letter  writing.  They 
are  important,  because  if  they  are  not  observed  it  is  just 
so  much  the  more  difficult  to  be  interesting.  Indeed,  letter 
writing  is  the  best  of  all  exercises  for  acquiring  the  habit 
of  good  form  in  composition.  But  before  you  can  write 
interesting  letters  you  must  have  something  interesting  to 
say. 

If  you  are  interested  in  writing  a  letter,  you  will  probably 
have  no  difficulty  in  making  your  letter  interesting  to  others. 
Have  something  you  really  wish  to  say.  Say  it.  Be  your- 
self. Avoid  "filling  up  space."  Do  not  write  because  you 
have  to.  There  are  a  hundred  things  happening  to  you 
every  day  that  your  absent  friends  will  be  interested  in 
hearing  about.  Put  these  things  in  a  letter  and  send  it  off. 
Of  course,  every  friendly  letter  must  show  some  interest 
in  the  person  to  whom  it  is  written  —  it  must  express  a 


HOW   TO  BE  INTERESTING  27 

desire  to  know  about  him,  what  he  is  doing,  how  he  is  getting 
along,  and  so  forth.  And  it  must  not  dwell  at  length 
upon  your  cares  and  troubles,  for  these  will  not  always 
interest  the  reader.  But  you  may  bring  a  reply  in  the  very 
next  mail  (provided  your  correspondent  does  not  live  too 
far  away)  if  you  will  tell  him  of  some  interesting  happening 
—  how  you  were  the  first  to  discover  a  fire,  how  the  dog 
brought  down  a  possum,  how  Bill  got  caught  by  the  street 
sprinkler.  Tell  him  about  these  matters  in  your  own 
natural  way,  and  you  will  probably  make  your  letter  most 
interesting.  Letters  are  only  written  conversations.  Don't 
search  the  dictionary  for  big  words.  Just  use  your  every- 
day, conversational  language  and  tell  about  the  ordinary 
happenings  of  your  daily  round. 

PRACTICE 

1.  What  incidents  of  particular  interest  are  mentioned  in  the  third 

letter  in  Lesson  One  ? 

2.  Do  the  letters  in  Lesson  One  show  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the 

one  "written  to  ? 

3.  How  much  in  these  letters  in  Lesson  One  deals  with  the  writer 

himself  ? 

4.  Write  a  letter  to   a   friend  upon  any  one  of  the  following 

subjects :  — 
The  morning  I  overslept.  The  runaways. 

The  day  I  failed.  Making  the  beds. 

Jim's  fine  run.  Drying  the  dishes. 

5.  Write  replies  from  Tomarcher  to  Robert  Louis  Stevenson  and 

from  Fanny  to  Thomas  Hood.     (See  pages  11  and  14.) 
'6.   Write  a  letter  to  your  friend  Bob  in  which  you  tell  all  about 
your  friend  Charles,  whom  Bob  does  not  know. 

7.  Write  a  letter  to  Charles  telling  him  all  about  Bob. 

8.  Invite  both  Bob  and  Charles  to  visit  you  on  a  certain  after- 

noon when  Mary  and  Alice  are  to  be  present. 


28  GOOD  ENGLISH 

9.  Write  to  your  sister,  who  was  away  at  the  time  of  your  party, 
telling  her  all  about  Bob  and  Charles  and  Mary  and  Ahce, 
and  your  pleasant  afternoon. 

10.  Write  your  sister's  reply  to  your  letter  in  9.    She  shows  interest 
in  your  affairs  and  tells  you  something  about  her  own. 


LESSON  FIVE 

The  Envelope 

There  are  other  customs  observed  in  letter  writing  as 
important  as  those  explained  above.  The  address  on  the 
envelope  is  called  the  outside  address  or  the  superscription. 
It  should  be  the  same  as  that  written  in  the  letter.  The 
placement  of  the  superscription  depends  somewhat  upon 
the  shape  and  the  size  of  the  envelope.  Usually  it  should 
be  placed  somewhat  lower  than  the  middle,  and  slightly 
to  the  right.  It  must  give  the  name,  the  stre?+  address, 
the  city,  and  the  state.  These  four  items  should  stand 
alone,  prominently,  in  the  order  above  indicated.  Other 
data,  such  as  the  county,  the  rural  free-delivery  direction, 
the  number  of  room  in  a  large  office  building,  the  "in  care 
of"  notice,  are  better  placed  in  the  lower  left-hand  corner. 
The  address  of  the  sender  may  be  put  in  the  upper  left-hand 
corner.  Punctuation  (except  after  abbreviations)  may  be 
omitted  from  the  superscription ;  should  be,  if  it  has  been 
omitted  in  the  heading  and  the  address  of  the  letter.  If 
punctuation  is  used,  a  comma  is  placed  at  the  end  of  all  lines 
except  the  last,  which  is  followed  by  a  period.  Note  that  the 
margin  of  the  superscription  may  be  vertical  or  diagonal. 
The  tendency  at  present  seems  to  favor  the  vertical  margin. 
Observe  the  following  models  :  — 


HOW  TO  BE  INTERESTING  29 


Mr.  Willard  Quick, 

Washington, 

D.C. 


R.  F.  D.  —  Route  4. 


Fred  Britton,  Esq., 
Jonesboro, 
Tenn. 


%  Mrs.  Thos.  A.  Britton. 


H.  S.  Brown 

Wilmot 

Ohio 


Dr.  Thomas  Conard 
260  EucUd  Avenue 
Cleveland 
Ohio 


Room  875 


30  GOOD  ENGLISH 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  envelope  should  be  clearly 
and  accurately  addressed.  Be  sure  that  you  have  it  right 
side  up  before  you  address  it.  Place  the  stamp  squarely 
in  the  extreme  upper  right-hand  corner.  Do  not  write 
City  or  Town  on  local  letters  instead  of  the  actual  name 
of  the  city  or  town. 

The  following  forms  of  address  should  be  noted  :  — 

Mr.  John  W.  Blank 

or 
John  W.  Blank,  Esq. 

Mr.  is  more  commonly  used  than  Esq.  Never  use  both. 
In  addressing  more  than  one  person,  the  following  forms 
are  good :  — 

Messrs.  Carlton  and  Donohue, 

or 
The  Messrs.  Carlton  and  Donohue, 

Misses  Sears  and  Barton, 

or 

The  Misses  Sears  and  Barton, 

In  addressing  a  married  woman,  her  wishes  regarding  the 
form  of  address  used  should  be  respected.  She  should 
indicate  underneath  her  signature  to  a  letter  the  form  she 
prefers,  as,  — 

Yours  cordially, 

Mary  R.  Barton 
(Mrs.  Seth  T.  Barton) 

or 
(Mrs.  Seth  T.) 

The  form  in  parentheses  is  the  one  to  be  used  in  addressing 
her.  In  case  she  is  a  widow,  or  prefers  to  be  addressed  by 
her  own  name,  she  should  indicate  it  as  follows :  — 


HOW  TO  BE  INTERESTING  31 

Yours  cordially, 

(Mrs.)  Mary  R.Barton 

Dr.  before  a  physician's  name  is  preferable  to  M.D.  after 
it.  Never  use  both.  Do  not  use  Prof,  for  Professor.  Never 
abbreviate  a  name  in  part,  as  Kansas  C.  or  K.  City,  or 
N.  Y.  City.  For  the  proper  forms  to  be  used  in  addressing 
ministers,  officials,  and  business  men  see  page  132. 


PRACTICE 

1.  Draw  the  plan  of  an  envelope  properly  addressed  and  stamped. 

2.  Address  an  envelope  to  a  friend  of  yours  who  lives  in  St.  Paul. 

Invent  names  and  details. 

3.  Address  an  envelope  to  a  doctor  in  Chicago,  in  care  of  some 

hospital. 

4.  Address  an  envelope  to  a  girl  friend  of  yours  and  her  sister. 

5.  Address  an  envelope  to  Mary  K.  Altman  (Mrs.  C.  V.),  130 

West  End  Ave.,  New  York  City,  in  care  of  R.  M.  Richardson. 

6.  Address  an  envelope  to  a  friend  of  yours  living  on  a  rural  free 

mail-delivery  route  in  the  country. 

7.  Criticize  and  correct  the  following  addresses :  — 

Mr.  C.  V.  Alger,  Esq. 
No.  2  Curtis  Ave, 

Brooklyn.  , 

N.  Y.  City. 

Dr.  Thomas  Keller  M.  D. 
No.  12  E.  Lancaster  St 
Albany, 
New  York 

8.  Address  envelopes  for  the  letters  you  wrote  under  Lesson  Four, 

page  27. 


32  GOOD  ENGLISH 

9.   Explain  the  purpose  of  the  note  in  the  upper  left-hand  corner 

of  the  envelope. 
10.   Explain  what  use  should  be  made  of  the  lower  left-hand  comer 
of  the  envelope. 

LESSON   SIX 

Stories  in  Prose  Told  in  the  Third  Person 

Read  one  of  the  following  stories  and  be  able  to  tell  it 
in  your  own  words  to  your  classmates.  Note  especially 
that  while  these  stories  are  told  for  the  most  part  in  the 
third  person,  yet  the  first  and  second  persons  both  figure 
in  certain  parts  for  the  effective  handling  of  the  narrative. 
Observe  the  following  points  in  retelling  the  first  story :  — 

1.  Lena's  letter.  2.  Lena's  dream.  3.  Hondo  Bill's 
reproof. 

The  Chaparral*  Prince 2 
(By  0.  Hmry) 

Nine  o'clock  at  last,  and  the  drudging  toil  of  the  day  was  ended. 
Lena  climbed  to  her  room  in  the  third  half-story  of  the  Quarrymen's 
Hotel.  Since  daylight  she  had  slaved,  doing  the  work  of  a  full- 
grown  woman,  scrubbing  the  floors,  washing  the  heavy  ironstone 
plates  and  cups,  making  the  beds,  and  supplying  the  insatiate 
demands  for  wood  and  water  in  that  turbulent  and  depressing 
hostelry. 

The  din  of  the  day's  quarrying  was  over  —  the  blasting  and 
drilUng,  the  creaking  of  the  great  cranes,  the  shouts  of  the  foremen, 
the  backing  and  shifting  of  the  flat-cars  hauUng  the  heavy  blocks 
of  limestone.  Down  in  the  hotel  office  three  or  four  of  the  laborers 
were  growling  and  swearing  over  a  belated  game  of  checkers. 

1  A  hardy  shrub  covering  large  tracts  of  land  in  Texas. 
»  Copyright,  1907,  by  Doubleday,  Page  and  Company.     Used  by  permia- 
eion  of  the  publishers. 


HOW  TO  BE  INTERESTING  33 

Heavy  odors  of  stewed  meat,  hot  grease,  and  cheap  coffee  hung  Uke  a 
depressing  fog  about  the  house. 

Lena  ht  the  stump  of  a  candle  and  sat  lunply  upon  her  wooden 
chair.  She  was  eleven  years  old,  thin  and  ill-nourished.  Her 
back  and  limbs  were  sore  and  aching.  But  the  ache  in  her  heart 
made  the  biggest  trouble.  The  last  straw  had  been  added  to  the 
burden  upon  her  small  shoulders.  They  had  taken  away  Grimm. ^ 
Always  at  night,  however  tired  she  might  be,  she  had  turned  to 
Grimm  for  comfort  and  hope.  Each  time  had  Grimm  whispered 
to  her  that  the  prince  or  the  fairy  would  come  and  deUver  her  out 
of  the  wicked  enchantment.  Every  night  she  had  taken  fresh 
courage  and  strength  from  Grimm. 

To  whatever  tale  she  read  she  found  an  analogy  in  her  own 
conditions.  The  woodcutter's  lost  child,  the  unhappy  goose  girl, 
the  persecuted  stepdaughter,  the  little  maiden  imprisoned  in  the 
witch's  hut  —  all  these  were  but  transparent  disguises  for  Lena, 
the  overworked  kitchenmaid  in  the  Quarrymen's  Hotel.  And 
always  when  the  extremity  was  direst  came  the  good  fairy  or  the 
gallant  prince  to  the  rescue. 

So,  here  in  the  ogre's  castle,  enslaved  by  a  wicked  spell,  Lena 
had  leaned  upon  Grimm  and  waited,  longing  for  the  powers  of 
goodness  to  prevail.  But  on  the  day  before  Mrs.  Maloney  had 
found  the  book  in  her  room  and  had  carried  it  away,  declaring 
sharply  it  would  not  do  for  servants  to  read  at  night;  they  lost 
sleep  and  did  not  work  briskly  the  next  day.  Can  one  only  eleven 
years  old,  Uving  away  from  one's  mamma,  and  never  having  any 
time  to  play,  Uve  entirely  deprived  of  Grimm?  Just  try  it  once, 
and  you  will  see  what  a  difficult  thing  it  is. 

Lena's  home  was  in  Texas,  away  up  among  the  Uttle  mountains 
on  the  Pedernales  River,  in  a  little  town  called  Fredericksburg, 
They  are  all  German  people  who  Uve  in  Fredericksburg.  Of 
evenings  they  sit  at  httle  tables  along  the  sidewalk  and  drink  beer 
and  play  pinochle  ^  and  scat.^    They  are  very  thrifty  people. 

Thriftiest  among  them  was  Peter  Hildesmuller,  Lena's  father. 
And  that  is  why  Lena  was  sent  to  work  in  the  hotel  at  the  quarries, 

1  The  Grimm  Brothers'  Fairy  Tales.  2  Card  games. 

D 


34  GOOD  ENGLISH 

thirty  miles  away.  She  earned  three  dollars  every  week  there, 
and  Peter  added  her  wages  to  his  well-guarded  store.  Peter  had 
an  ambition  to  become  as  rich  as  his  neighbor,  Hugo  Heffelbauer, 
who  smoked  a  meerschaum  pipe  three  feet  long  and  had  wiener 
schnitzel  ^  and  hasenpfeffer  ^  for  dinner  every  day  in  the  week.  And 
now  Lena  was  quite  old  enough  to  work  and  assist  in  the  accumu- 
lation of  riches.  But  conjecture,  if  you  can,  what  it  means  to  be 
sentenced  at  eleven  years  of  age  from  a  home  in  the  pleasant  httle 
Rhine  village  to  hard  labor  in  the  ogre's  castle,  where  you  must  fly 
to  serve  the  ogres,  while  they  devour  cattle  and  sheep,  growhng 
fiercely  as  they  stamp  white  limestone  dust  from  their  great  shoes 
for  you  to  sweep  and  scour  with  your  weak,  aching  fingers.  And 
then  —  to  have  Grimm  taken  away  from  you ! 

Lena  raised  the  lid  of  an  old  empty  case  that  had  once  contained 
canned  corn  and  got  out  a  sheet  of  paper  and  a  piece  of  pencil. 
She  was  going  to  write  a  letter  to  her  mamma.  Tommy  Ryan  was 
going  to  post  it  for  her  at  Balhnger's.  Tommy  was  seventeen, 
worked  in  the  quarries,  went  home  to  Balhnger's  every  night,  and 
was  now  waiting  in  the  shadows  under  Lena's  window  for  her  to 
throw  the  letter  out  to  him.  This  was  the  only  way  she  could  send 
a  letter  to  Fredericksburg.  Mrs.  Maloney  did  not  Uke  for  her  to 
write  letters. 

The  stump  of  candle  was  burning  low,  so  Lena  hastily  bit  the 
wood  from  around  the  lead  of  her  pencil  and  began.  This  is  the 
letter  she  wrote : 

"Dearest  Mamma,  —  I  want  so  much  to  see  you.  And  Gretel 
and  Glaus  and  Heinrich  and  httle  Adolf.  I  am  so  tired.  I  want  to 
see  you.  Today  I  was  slapped  by  Mrs.  Maloney  and  had  no  supper. 
I  could  not  bring  in  enough  wood,  for  my  hand  hurt.  She  took  my 
book  yesterday.  I  mean  'Grimms's  Fairy  Tales,'  which  Uncle 
Leo  gave  me.  It  did  not  hurt  any  one  for  me  to  read  the  book.  I 
try  to  work  as  well  as  I  can,  but  there  is  so  much  to  do.  I  read  only 
a  httle  bit  every  night.     Dear  mamma,  I  shall  tell  you  what  I 

*  Vienna  veal  chops. 

*  Rabbit  meat  (or  a  substitute  for  it)  prepared  as  a  stew. 


HOW   TO  BE  INTERESTING  35 

am  going  to  do.  Unless  you  send  for  me  tomorrow  to  bring  me 
home  I  shall  go  to  a  deep  place  I  know  in  the  river  and  drown.  It 
is  wicked  to  drown,  I  suppose,  but  I  wanted  to  see  you,  and  there  is 
no  one  else.  I  am  very  tired,  and  Tommy  is  waiting  for  the  letter. 
You  will  excuse  me,  mamma,  if  I  do  it. 

"Your  respectful  and  loving  daughter, 

"Lena." 

Tommy  was  still  waiting  faithfully  when  the  letter  was  concluded, 
and  when  Lena  dropped  it  out  she  saw  him  pick  it  up  and  start  up 
the  steep  hillside.  Without  undressing,  she  blew  out  the  candle 
and  curled  herself  upon  the  mattress  on  the  floor. 

At  10 :  30  o'clock  old  man  BaUinger  came  out  of  his  house  in 
his  stocking  feet  and  leaned  over  the  gate,  smoking  his  pipe.  He 
looked  down  the  big  road,  white  in  the  moonshine,  and  rubbed  one 
ankle  with  the  toe  of  his  other  foot.  It  was  time  for  the  Fredericks- 
burg mail  to  come  pattering  up  the  road. 

Old  man  Balhnger  had  waited  only  a  few  minutes  when  he  heard 
the  lively  hoof  beats  of  Fritz's  team  of  little  black  mules,  and  very 
soon  afterward  his  covered  spring  wagon  stood  in  front  of  the  gate. 
Fritz's  big  spectacles  flashed  in  the  moonhght  and  his  tremendous 
voice  shouted  a  greeting  to  the  postmaster  of  BalUnger's.  The 
mail  carrier  jumped  out  and  took  the  bridles  from  the  mules,  for  he 
always  fed  them  oats  at  Ballinger's. 

While  the  mules  were  eating  from  their  feed  bags,  old  man  Bal- 
linger  brought  out  the  mail  sack  and  threw  it  into  the  wagon. 

"Tell  me,"  said  Fritz,  when  he  was  ready  to  start,  "contains  the 
sack  a  letter  to  Frau  H"ldesmuller  from  the  little  Lena  at  the 
quarries  ?  One  came  in  the  last  mail  to  say  that  she  is  a  little  sick, 
already.     Her  mamma  is  very  anxious  to  hear  again." 

"Yes,"  said  old  man  Balhnger,  "thar's  a  letter  for  Mrs.  Helter- 
skelter,  or  some  sich  name.  Tommy  Ryan  brung  it  over  when  he 
come.    Her  little  gal  workin'  over  thar,  you  say?" 

"In  the  hotel,"  shouted  Fritz,  as  he  gathered  up  the  lines; 
"eleven  years  old  and  not  bigger  as  a  frankfurter.  The  close-fist 
of  a  Peter  Hildesmuller !  —  some  day  shall  I  with  a  big  club  pound 


36  GOOD  ENGLISH 

that  man's  dummkopf  ^  —  all  in  and  out  the  town.  Perhaps  in 
this  letter  Lena  will  say  that  she  is  yet  feeling  better.  So,  her 
mamma  will  be  glad.  Auf  wiedersehen,^  Herr  Ballinger — your 
feets  will  take  cold  out  in  the  night  air." 

''So  long,  Fritzy,"  said  old  man  Ballinger.  "You  got  a  nice 
cool  night  for  your  drive." 

Up  the  road  went  the  little  black  mules  at  their  steady  trot,  while 
Fritz  thundered  at  them  occasional  words  of  endearment  and  cheer. 

These  fancies  occupied  the  mind  of  the  mail  carrier  until  he 
reached  the  big  post  oak  forest,  eight  miles  from  Ballinger 's.  Here 
his  ruminations  were  scattered  by  the  sudden  flash  and  report  of 
pistols  and  a  whooping  as  if  from  a  whole  tribe  of  Indians.  A 
band  of  galloping  centaurs  closed  in  around  the  mail  wagon. 
One  of  them  leaned  over  the  front  wheel,  covered  the  driver  with 
his  revolver,  and  ordered  him  to  stop.  Others  caught  at  the  bridles 
of  Bonder  and  Blitzen. 

"Donnerwetter!"  3  shouted  Fritz,  with  all  his  tremendous  voice 
—  "was  ist?  Release  your  hands  from  dose  mules.  Ve  vas  der 
United  States  mail ! " 

"Hurry  up,  Dutch!"  drawled  a  melancholy  voice.  "Don't 
you  know  when  you're  in  a  stick-up?  Reverse  your  mules  and 
climb  out  of  the  cart." 

It  is  due  to  the  breadth  of  Hondo  Bill's  demerit  and  the  largeness 
of  his  achievements  to  state  that  the  holding  up  of  the  Fredericks- 
burg mail  was  not  perpetrated  by  way  of  an  exploit.  As  the  lion 
while  in  the  pursuit  of  prey  commensurate  to  his  prowess  might  set 
a  frivolous  foot  upon  a  casual  rabbit  in  his  path,  so  Hondo  Bill 
and  his  gang  had  swooped  sportively  upon  the  pacific  transport  of 
Meinherr  Fritz. 

The  real  work  of  their  sinister  night  ride  was  over.  Fritz  and 
his  mail  bag  and  his  mules  came  as  a  gentle  relaxation,  grateful 
after  the  arduous  duties  of  their  profession.  Twenty  miles  to  the 
southeast  stood  a  train  with  a  killed  engine,  hysterical  passengers, 

*  German  for  blockhead. 

*  German  for  Good-by.     Literally,  "I'll  see  you  again." 

*  Thunderation ! 


HOW  TO  BE  INTERESTING  37 

and  a  looted  express  and  mail  car.  That  represented  the  serious 
occupation  of  Hondo  Bill  and  his  gang.  With  a  fairly  rich  prize  of 
currency  and  silver  the  robbers  were  making  a  wide  detour  to  the 
west  through  the  less  populous  country,  intending  to  seek  safety 
in  Mexico  by  means  of  some  fordable  spot  on  the  Rio  Grande.  The 
booty  from  the  train  had  melted  the  desperate  bushrangers  to  jovial 
and  happy  skylarkers. 

Trembling  with  outraged  dignity  and  no  little  personal  appre- 
hension, Fritz  climbed  out  to  the  road  after  replacing  his  suddenly 
removed  spectacles.  The  band  had  dismounted  and  were  singing, 
capering,  and  whooping,  thus  expressing  their  satisfied  delight  in 
the  life  of  a  jolly  outlaw.  Rattlesnake  Rogers,  who  stood  at  the 
heads  of  the  mules,  jerked  a  little  too  vigorously  at  the  rein  of  the 
tender-mouthed  Bonder,  who  reared  and  emitted  a  loud,  protesting 
snort  of  pain.  Instantly  Fritz,  with  a  scream  of  anger,  flew  at  the 
bulky  Rogers  and  began  to  assiduously  pommel  that  surprised  free- 
booter with  his  fists. 

''Villain!"  shouted  Fritz,  "dog,  bigstiff!  Dot  mule  he  has  a 
soreness  by  his  mouth.  I  vill  knock  off  your  shoulders  mit  your 
head  —  robbermans ! " 

"Yi-yi!"  howled  Rattlesnake,  roaring  with  laughter  and  ducking 
his  head,  "somebody  git  this  here  sauerkrout  off'n  me !" 

One  of  the  band  yanked  Fritz  back  by  the  coat  tail,  and  the 
woods  rang  with  Rattlesnake's  vociferous  comments. 

"The  .  .  .  little  wienerwurst,"  ^  he  yelled,  amiably.  "He's  not  so 
much  of  a  skunk,  for  a  Dutchman.  Took  up  for  his  animile  plumb 
quick,  didn't  he  ?  I  like  to  see  a  man  like  his  hoss,  even  if  it  is  a  mule. 
The  dad-blamed  little  Limburger,  he  went  for  me,  didn't  he !  Whoa, 
now,  muley —  I  ain't  a-goin'  to  hurt  your  mouth  agin  any  more." 

Perhaps  the  mail  would  not  have  been  tampered  with  had  not 
Ben  Moody,  the  lieutenant,  possessed  certain  wisdom  that  seemed 
to  promise  more  spoils. 

"Say,  Cap,"  he  said,  addressing  Hondo  Bill,  "there's  liable  to 
be  good  pickings  in  these  mail  sacks.  I've  done  some  hoss  tradin' 
with  these  Dutchmen  around  Fredericksburg,  and  I  know  the  style 
^  Literally  Vienna  Sausage.    Slang  for  "  worthless." 


38  GOOD  ENGLISH 

of  the  varmints.  There's  big  money  goes  through  the  mails  to  that 
town.  Them  Dutch  risk  a  thousand  dollars  sent  wrapped  in  a  piece 
of  paper  before  they'd  pay  the  banks  to  handle  the  money." 

Hondo  Bill,  six  feet  two,  gentle  of  voice  and  impulsive  in  action, 
was  dragging  the  sacks  from  the  rear  of  the  wagon  before  Moody 
had  finished  his  speech.  A  knife  shone  in  his  hand,  and  they  heard 
the  ripping  sound  as  it  bit  through  the  tough  canvas.  The  outlaws 
crowded  around  and  began  tearing  open  letters  and  packages, 
enlivening  their  labors  by  swearing  affably  at  the  writers,  who 
seemed  to  have  conspired  to  confute  the  prediction  of  Ben  Moody. 
Not  a  dollar  was  found  in  the  Fredericksburg  mail. 

"You  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  yourself,"  said  Hondo  Bill  to  the 
mail  carrier  in  solemn  tones,  'Ho  be  packing  around  such  a  lot  of 
old,  trashy  paper  as  this.  What  d'you  mean  by  it,  anyhow? 
Where  do  you  Butchers  keep  your  money  at?" 

The  Ballinger  mail  sack  opened  like  a  cocoon  under  Hondo's 
knife.  It  contained  but  a  handful  of  mail.  Fritz  had  been  fuming 
with  terror  and  excitement  until  this  sack  was  reached.  He  now 
remembered  Lena's  letter.  He  addressed  the  leader  of  the  band, 
asking  that  that  particular  missive  be  spared. 

"Much  obliged,  Dutch,"  he  said  to  the  disturbed  carrier.  "I 
guess  that's  the  letter  we  want.  Got  spondulicks  in  it,  ain't  it? 
Here  she  is.     Make  a  light,  boys." 

Hondo  found  and  tore  open  the  letter  to  Mrs.  Hildesmuller. 
The  others  stood  about,  lighting  twisted-up  letters  one  from  another. 
Hondo  gazed  with  mute  disapproval  at  the  single  sheet  of  paper 
covered  with  the  angular  German  script. 

"Whatever  is  this  you've  humbugged  us  with,  Dutchy ?  You  call 
this  here  a  valuable  letter  ?  That's  a  mighty  low-down  trick  to  play 
on  your  friends  what  come  along  to  help  you  distribute  your  mail." 

"That's  Chiny  writin ',"  said  Sandy  Grundy,  peering  over  Hondo's 
shoulder. 

"You're  off  your  kazip,"  declared  another  of  the  gang,  an  effec- 
tive youth,  covered  with  silk  handkerchiefs  and  nickel  plating. 
"That's  shorthand.    I  seen  'em  do  it  once  in  court." 

"Ach,  no,  no,  no —  dot  is  German,"  said  Fritz.    "It  is  no  more 


HOW  TO  BE  INTERESTING  39 

as  a  little  girl  writing  a  letter  to  her  mamma.  One  poor  little  girl, 
sick  and  vorking  hard  avay  from  home.  Ach!  it  is  a  shame. 
Good  Mr.  Robberman,  you  vill  please  let  me  have  dot  letter?" 

"What  the  devil  do  you  take  us  for,  old  Pretzels?"  said  Hondo 
with  sudden  and  surprising  severity.  ''You  ain't  presumin'  to 
insinuate  that  we  gents  ain't  possessed  of  sufficient  politeness  for 
to  take  an  interest  in  the  miss's  health,  are  you?  Now,  you  go  on, 
and  you  read  that  scratchin'  out  loud  and  in  plain  United  States 
language  to  this  here  company  of  educated  society." 

Hondo  twirled  his  six-shooter  by  its  trigger  guard  and  stood 
towering  above  the  little  German,  who  at  once  began  to  read  the 
letter,  translating  the  simple  words  into  English.  The  gang  of 
rovers  stood  in  absolute  silence,  listening  intently. 

"How  old  is  that  kid?"  asked  Hondo  when  the  letter  was  done. 

"Eleven,"  said  Fritz. 

"And  where  is  she  at?" 

"At  dose  rock  quarries  —  working.  Ach,  mein  Gott  —  little 
Lena,  she  speak  of  drowning.  I  do  not  know  if  she  vill  do  it,  but 
if  she  shall  I  schwear  I  vill  dot  Peter  Hildesmuller  shoot  mit  a  gun." 

"You  Dutchers,"  said  Hondo  Bill,  his  voice  swelling  with  fine 
contempt,  "make  me  plenty  tired.  Hirin'  out  your  kids  to  work 
when  they  ought  to  be  playin'  dolls  in  the  sand.  ...  I  reckon 
we'll  fix  your  clock  for  a  while  just  to  show  what  we  think  of  your 
old  cheesy  nation.     Here,  boys ! " 

Hondo  Bill  parleyed  aside  oriefly  with  his  band,  and  then  they 
seized  Fritz  and  conveyed  him  off  the  road  to  one  side.  Here  they 
bound  him  fast  to  a  tree  with  a  couple  of  lariats.  His  team  they 
tied  to  another  tree  near  by. 

"We  ain't  going  to  hurt  you  bad,"  said  Hondo  reassuringly. 
"'Twon't  hurt  you  to  be  tied  up  for  a  while.  We  will  now  pass 
you  the  time  of  day,  as  it  is  up  to  us  to  depart.  Ausgespielt  — 
nixcumrous,!  Dutchy.     Don't  get  any  more  impatience." 

*  Like  so  many  other  expressions  of  the  robbers,  these  are  fragments  of  real 
German,  nonsensical  and  humorous  imitations  of  Fritz's  speech ;  part  Ger- 
man, part  nonsense,  equivalent  to  our  slang  phrases  "All  over!  Nothing 
doing ! " 


40  GOOD  ENGLISH 

Fritz  heard  a  great  squeaking  of  saddles  as  the  men  mounted 
their  horses.  Then  a  loud  yell  and  a  great  clatter  of  hoofs  as  they 
galloped  pell-mell  back  along  the  Fredericksburg  road. 

For  more  than  two  hours  Fritz  sat  against  his  tree,  tightly  but 
not  painfully  bound.  Then  from  the  reaction  after  his  exciting 
adventure  he  sank  into  slumber.  How  long  he  slept  he  knew  not, 
but  he  was  at  last  awakened  by  a  rough  shake.  Hands  were  untying 
his  ropes.  He  was  lifted  to  his  feet,  dazed,  confused  in  mind,  and 
weary  of  body.  Rubbmg  his  eyes,  he  looked  and  saw  that  he  was 
again  in  the  midst  of  the  same  band  of  terrible  bandits.  They 
shoved  him  up  to  the  seat  of  his  wagon  and  placed  the  lines  in  his 
hands. 

"Hit  it  out  for  home,  Dutch,"  said  Hondo  Bill's  voice  com- 
mandingly.  "You've  given  us  lots  of  trouble  and  we're  pleased  to 
see  the  back  of  your  neck.    Spiel !    Zwei  bier !    Vamoose ! "  ^ 

Hondo  reached  out  and  gave  Blitzen  a  smart  cut  with  his  quirt. 
The  little  mules  sprang  ahead,  glad  to  be  moving  again.  Fritz 
urged  them  along,  dizzy  and  muddled  over  his  fearful  adventure. 

According  to  schedule  time,  he  should  have  reached  Fredericks- 
burg at  daylight.  As  it  was,  he  drove  down  the  long  street  of  the 
town  at  eleven  o'clock  a.m.  He  had  to  pass  Peter  Hildesmuller's 
house  on  his  way  to  the  post-office.  He  stopped  his  team  at  the 
gate  and  called.  But  Frau  Hildesmuller  was  watching  for  him. 
Out  rushed  the  whole  family  of  Hildesmullers. 

Frau  Hildesmuller,  fat  and  flushed,  inquired  if  he  had  a  letter 
from  Lena,  and  then  Fritz  raised  his  voice  and  told  the  tale  of  his 
adventure.  He  told  the  contents  of  the  letter  that  the  robber 
had  made  him  read,  and  then  Frau  Hildesmuller  broke  into  wild 
weeping.  Her  little  Lena  drown  herself !  Why  had  they  sent  her 
from  home?  What  could  be  done?  Perhaps  it  would  be  too  late 
by  the  time  they  could  send  for  her  now.  Peter  Hildesmuller 
dropped  his  meerschaum  on  the  walk  and  it  shivered  into  pieces. 

"Woman!"  he  roared  at  his  wife,  "why  did  you  let  that  child 
go  away?    It  is  your  fault  if  she  comes  home  to  us  no  more." 

1" Vamoose"  means  "get  out."  "Spiel"  and  "Zwei  bier"  are  good 
German  words  but  nonsensical  here.    Hondo  Bill  is  making  fun  of  Frita. 


HOW  TO  BE  INTERESTING  41 

Every  one  knew  that  it  was  Peter  Hildesmuller's  fault,  so  they 
paid  no  attention  to  his  words. 

A  moment  afterward  a  strange,  faint  voice  was  heard  to  call: 
*'Mamma!"  Frau  HildesmuUer  at  first  thought  it  was  Lena's 
spirit  calling,  and  then  she  rushed  to  the  rear  of  Fritz's  covered 
wagon,  and,  with  a  loud  shriek  of  joy,  caught  up  Lena  herself,  cov- 
ering her  pale  little  face  with  kisses  and  smothering  her  with  hugs. 
Lena's  eyes  were  heavy  with  the  deep  slumber  of  exhaustion,  but 
she  smiled  and  lay  close  to  the  one  she  had  longed  to  see.  There 
among  the  mail  sacks,  covered  in  a  nest  of  strange  blankets  and 
comforters,  she  had  lain  asleep  until  awakened  by  the  voices  around 
her. 

Fritz  stared  at  her  with  eyes  that  bulged  behind  his  spectacles. 

"Gott  in  Himmel!"  he  shouted.  "How  did  you  get  in  that 
wagon  ?  Am  I  going  crazy  as  well  as  to  be  murdered  and  hanged 
by  robbers  this  day?" 

"You  brought  her  to  us,  Fritz,"  cried  Herr  HildesmuUer.  "How 
can  we  ever  thank  you  enough?" 

"Tell  mamma  how  you  came  in  Fritz's  wagon,"  said  Frau 
HildesmuUer. 

"I  don't  know,"  saidXena.  "But  I  know  how  I  got  away  from 
the  hotel.    The  Prince  brought  me." 

"By  the  Emperor's  crown!"  shouted  Fritz,  "we  are  all  going 
crazy." 

"I  always  knew  he  would  come,"  said  Lena,  sitting  down  on  her 
bundle  of  bedclothes  on  the  sidewalk.  "Last  night  he  came  with 
his  armed  knights  and  captured  the  ogre's  castle.  They  broke 
the  dishes  and  kicked  down  the  doors.  They  pitched  Mr.  Maloney 
into  a  barrel  of  rain  water  and  threw  flour  all  over  Mrs.  Maloney. 
The  workmen  in  the  hotel  jumped  out  of  the  windows  and  ran  into 
the  woods  when  the  knights  began  firing  their  guns.  They  wakened 
me  up  and  I  peeped  down  the  stair.  And  then  the  Prince  came  up 
and  wrapped  me  in  the  bedclothes  and  carried  me  out.  He  was  so 
tall  and  strong  and  fine.  His  face  was  as  rough  as  a  scrubbing- 
brush,  and  he  talked  soft  and  kind  and  smelled  of  schnapps  .^    He 

1  Holland  gin. 


HE   HELD   ME    CLOSE   AND    I    WENT   TO   SLEEP  THAT   WAY. 


HOW  TO  BE  INTERESTING  43 

took  me  on  his  horse  before  him  and  we  rode  away  among  the 
knights.  He  held  me  close  and  I  went  to  sleep  that  way,  and  didn't 
wake  up  till  I  got  home." 

"Rubbish!"  cried  Fritz  Bergmann.  "Fairy  tales!  How  did 
you  come  from  the  quarries  to  my  wagon?" 

"The  Prince  brought  me,"  said  Lena,  confidently. 

And  to  this  day  the  good  people  of  Fredericksburg  haven't  been 
able  to  make  her  give  any  other  explanation. 


Buddy  and  Waffles^ 
(By  John  A.  Moroso) 


They  were  two  of  a  kind  —  Buddy  and  his  dog,  Waffles.  "That 
child,"  declared  Mrs.  H.  Orrison  Finch,  president  of  the  Ladies' 
Village  Improvement  Society,  when  the  disreputability  of  Buddy 
was  brought  up  for  consideration,  "is  a  disgrace  and  a  hurt  to  the 
community !  The  first  thing  a  visitor  to  the  town  sees  is  a  bundle 
of  old  clothes  piled  in  the  sun  on  a  bench  in  front  of  the  station. 
The  bundle  stirs  on  the  arrival  of  a  train,  gets  up,  and  the  visitor 
is  confronted  with  that  shocking  spectacle  which  has  the  name  of 
a  human  being ! " 

"Where  did  the  boy  come  from,  Madam  President?"  asked 
Mrs.  Mary  Amelia  Sitt,  chairman  of  the  Committee  on  the  Beau- 
tification  of  Railroad  Parks  and  Stations. 

"He  looks  as  if  he  had  escaped  from  a  ragpicker's  bag,"  replied 
Mrs.  Finch.  "But  I  believe  that  he  was  born  in  the  county  poor- 
house,  and  that  an  old  widow,  now  dead,  adopted  him  and  left 
him,  after  her  demise,  to  grow  up  like  a  rank  and  noxious  weed." 

"Who  feeds  him?"  asked  another  member. 

"He  feeds  himself  somehow  and  also  feeds  his  cur  dog,  who  is  as 
much  a  disgrace  to  the  town  as  his  master,"  the  president  informed 
^  Reprinted  by  special  permission  of  the  author. 


44  GOOD  ENGLISH 

the  society.  "We  should  and  must  get  rid  of  the  two  of  them.  It 
is  high  time." 

The  hour  for  the  bridge  game  was  at  hand,  and  on  that  afternoon 
it  was  to  be  played  in  the  very  comfortable  and  even  richly  appointed 
home  of  the  president. 

"I  move,  Madam  President,"  said  Mrs.  Nales,  "that  the  Com- 
mittee on  Beautification  of  Railroad  Parks  and  Stations  be  in- 
structed to  take  such  action  as  is  necessary  to  have  this  nuisance 
abated.  If  the  dog  has  no  license  he  may  be  easily  disposed  of. 
The  boy  might  be  placed  in  some  institution." 

"Second  the  motion!"  came  from  all  over  the  meeting  room, 
and,  as  it  was  carried  unanimously,  a  motion  to  adjourn  followed, 
and  the  ladies  trooped  off  to  their  fun. 

Now,  they  had  to  cross  the  railroad  tracks  to  reach  the  home 
of  their  hostess,  and  there  sat  Buddy  on  his  favorite  bench  in  the 
sun,  making  fast  a  cord  to  a  slender  branch  of  a  tree  laid  across 
his  knees,  with  a  tin  can  filled  with  worms  beside  him,  and,  looking 
up  into  his  face,  his  dog  and  only  friend  :  a  gaunt,  shaggy  cur,  dingy 
brown  in  color.  Buddy  was  about  twelve  years  old,  and  his  eyes 
shone  from  a  dirty  face  like  two  blue  patches  of  summer  sky  through 
shower-promising  clouds.  One  of  his  shoes  was  intended  for  a 
male  person  and  the  other,  from  which  he  had  removed  the  high 
heel,  had  been  made  for  a  female.  His  coat  had  been  cut  for  a 
man,  and  the  bifurcation  of  his  trousers  was  lost  in  an  amplitude 
of  cloth.  He  stopped  fixing  his  fishing  tackle  to  caress  the  dog  — 
at  the  dog's  own  earnest  and  caudal  beseeching  —  and  the  ladies 
passed  with  sniffs  of  contempt  and  disgust,  and  with  glances  which 
said  plainly :  "We'll  take  up  your  case  after  the  bridge ! " 

Thinking  that  his  friend  was  hungry  Buddy  fished  in  a  cavernous 
pocket,  pulled  out  half  a  loaf  of  bread  and  wrenched  off  a  goodly 
piece.  He  emptied  his  bait  from  the  can  and  filled  it  with  water 
from  a  near-by  rain  barrel,  placing  it  beside  his  pet  and  putting 
the  wriggling,  protesting  worms  in  his  coat  pocket,  stufl&ng  a  piece 
of  newspaper  on  top  of  them  to  hold  them  captive. 

Waffles  did  not  beg  often,  for  he  was  a  good  self-provider.  By 
upsetting  a  boy  and  stealing  the  contents  of  a  tray  which  he  was 


HOW   TO  BE  INTERESTING  45 

carrying  to  a  neighbor's  home  one  morning  Buddy's  dog  secured 
a  breakfast  that  day  of  a  dozen  well-browned  and  buttered  waffles, 
which  not  only  gave  him  internal  satisfaction,  but  also  caused  his 
christening  by  other  boys  who  saw  him  make  the  raid. 

The  dog  finishing  his  repast  and  quenching  his  thirst.  Buddy 
filled  his  own  mouth  with  bread,  rinsed  out  the  bait  can,  wet  his 
own  throat,  and  departed  whistling,  with  his  rod,  line,  worms,  and 
four-footed  friend,  in  the  direction  of  the  brook.  The  heart  of 
the  lad  was  light  within  him.  The  winter  had  passed ;  the  robins 
had  come  up  from  the  South  to  steal  all  the  worms  they  could 
from  small  boys  who  would  a-fishing  go;  and  the  grackles  were 
flying  overhead  in  countless  air  squadrons,  making  a  noise  like 
crackling  twigs  in  a  brisk  forest  fire.  Over  the  untilled  fields  the 
dandelions  spread  their  golden  carpets;  the  trees  had  well  ad- 
vanced in  leafing,  the  fish  were  nibbling,  and  Buddy  would  no 
longer  be  compelled  to  beg  a  shelter  in  bams  or  in  the  rear  of  village 
shops  at  the  coming  of  night. 

II 

It  was  probably  the  spirit  of  pride  and  responsibility  in  owner- 
ship which  early  determined  Buddy  thoroughly  to  educate  his 
dumb  friend.  He  knew  nothing  about  praying,  but  he  did  Imow 
of  the  posture  for  praying,  so  he  taught  Waffles  to  kneel  down  with 
his  head  between  his  forepaws  and  not  stir  until  he  heard  the  magic 
word  ''Amen."  This  concession  having  been  made  to  the  demands 
of  a  Christian  nation  Waffles  was  taught  to  say  "Good  morning" 
and  ''Good  night,"  and  his  deportment  was  established.  Next, 
Buddy  taught  him  to  ask  for  food  and  water  when  there  were  any 
with  which  to  accede  to  his  request.  Waffles  in  time  also  acquired 
the  art  of  playing  sick,  writhing  in  great  pain  on  the  ground  and 
then  lying  stark  and  stiff  in  death  until  the  magic  words  "Git  up ! " 
brought  him  back  to  the  living. 

Buddy  further  taught  his  friend  to  be  useful,  having  him  carry 
his  ragged  cap  or  tattered  shoes  on  hot  days,  or  the  fishing  pole 
or  the  bait  can.  It  was  not  necessary  to  teach  him  to  love  his 
master:    that  was  born  in  his  puppy  soul  when  Buddy  crawled 


46  GOOD  ENGLISH 

under  the  freight  station  platform  one  winter's  morning  and  saved 
him  from  death  by  cold  and  starvation. 

So  the  sweetest  season  of  the  year  began  with  a  well-educated 
dog  and  a  thoroughly  happy  and  uneducated  boy,  neither  asking 
anything  of  life  save  plenty  of  sunshine  and  a  bite  to  eat.  Nature 
offered  them  both,  and  a  little  later  in  the  year  Man  would  offer 
the  lad  the  highest  and  greatest  blessing  that  can  come  to  a  boy 
—  the  circus ! 

Buddy  was  already  coping  with  the  problem  of  acquiring  enough 
money  to  pay  his  way  through  the  gates  of  boyhood's  heaven.  He 
lived  from  circus  to  circus ;  and  as  each  springtime  came  he  planned 
to  gaze  long  and  lovingly  upon  every  freak  in  every  side  show,  every 
animal  in  the  menagerie;  planned  for  a  top  seat  in  the  big  tent, 
where  he  could  rub  his  back  against  the  beloved  canvas  and  watch 
all  three  rings  at  once;  and  laid  out  appropriations  for  peanuts, 
lemonade,,and  the  concert  that  always  followed  the  regular  show. 

Buddy  earned  his  circus  money  by  fishing.  A  little  piece  of  red 
flannel  rag  on  his  line  served  him  for  trout,  if  trout  were  running, 
and  if  they  were  not  running,  the  wriggling  worm  on  his  hook  and 
a  light  sinker  brought  up  perch.  He  sold  his  catches  to  elaborately 
equipped  fishermen  who  failed  to  fill  their  baskets.  This  money 
he  hoarded,  burying  it  and  marking  the  treasure-trove  against  the 
time  when  the  glittering  caravans  would  pass  from  the  dreams  of 
childhood  to  the  reality  of  the  Fair  Grounds  in  the  nearest  big  town. 

"How  much  ye  got  now.  Buddy?"  asked  Tom  McCue,  the 
village  constable,  when  circus  rumors  began  to  spread. 

"Ninety-eight,"  the  boy  replied. 

"Better'n  last  year,  am't  it?"  inquired  the  police  arm  of  the 
village  law. 

"Ten  cents  better." 

"Glad  to  hear  it,  Buddy;  glad  to  hear  it!"  McCue,  bearing 
a  badge  that  was  as  a  shield  to  his  whole  big  heart,  was  the  one 
person  not  among  the  absolutely  poverty  stricken  who  would 
converse  openly  with  the  boy.  He  was  old ;  his  hands  shook  with 
incipient  palsy;  his  white  whiskers  twinkled  as  he  constantly 
nibbled  at  a  bit  of  plug  tobacco ;  in  fact  he  was  just  the  sort  of  man 


HOW   TO  BE  INTERESTING  47 

to  give  all  his  time  to  the  preservation  of  law  in  a  village  so  small 
and  peaceful  that  no  harm  was  ever  done  within  its  confines  beyond 
tearing  a  reputation  to  tatters  or  shooting  down  a  defenseless  and 
harmless  dog. 

''You  going  to  the  circus,  too,  Chief?"  Buddy  asked. 

''Sure;  if  everything  is  quiet  and  I  can  git  off,"  replied  the 
constable.  They  drew  back  against  the  side  of  the  station  to 
escape  the  suction  of  a  passing  express.  "Be  you  teaching  Waffles 
any  new  tricks,  Buddy?" 

"I  guess  he  knows  everything  now.  Chief,"  the  boy  replied,  rubbing 
his  dog's  ears.  "He  can  walk  on  his  hands,  stand  on  his  head,  and 
turn  the  back  flipflap." 

"Is  that  so?  He  can,  eh?"  cried  McCue.  "You  know  you'd 
make  a  barrel  of  money  with  him  if  you  joined  the  circus.  Buddy. 
I  have  saw  many  a  trick  dog  that  couldn't  tech  him;  no,  sirree, 
not  for  a  minute.  And  think  of  traveling  all  over  the  country, 
with  a  parade  every  day,  the  steam  planner  just  hittin'  it  up  all 
the  time,  and  feeding  the  animules  every  day!" 

"Lawsy!"  exclaimed  Buddy,  his  eyes  like  two  blue  saucers. 

"I'd  try  it  when  ye  got  a  little  bigger.  Buddy.  Dinged  if  I 
wouldn't,  ef  I  was  you." 

"Why  don't  you  make  that  boy  and  dog  keep  away  from  the 
station?"  sounded  a  strident  voice  behind  them;  and  constable 
and  boy  turned  to  face  Mrs.i  Sitt  and  Mrs.  Nales,  members  of  the 
station  committee. 

"What  they  doin',  ma'am?"  quavered  old  Tom. 

"You'll  find  out  what  they're  doing,"  retorted  Mrs.  Sitt;  "and 
you'll  find  it  out  after  the  next  meeting  of  the  improvement  society ! " 

Buddy  dodged  around  the  comer  of  the  station,  with  Waffles  at 
his  heels,  both  feeling  that  they  had  unwittingly  committed  some 
crime,  or  that,  perhaps,  something  had  happened  in  the  village  for 
which  they  were  blamed.  Something  was  certainly  wrong  some- 
where. Buddy  was  not  old  enough  and  not  sapient  enough  to 
know  that  the  only  crime  he  and  his  dog  were  guilty  of  was  the 
crime  of  being  alive,  or  of  being  accessories  after  the  fact  to  having 
been  born. 


48  GOOD  ENGLISH 


m 

At  last  the  morning  of  the  circus  came,  and  Buddy  had  two 
dollars,  every  cent  of  which  he  was  prepared  to  squander.  The 
circus  town  was  ten  miles  away  across  country  and  nearer  a  more 
profitable  railroad  line.  To  reach  it  on  the  cars  he  would  have 
had  to  spend  one  of  his  two  precious  dollars  in  a  long  and  round- 
about journey.  With  better  shoes  he  could  have  made  the  ten 
miles  easily  in  a  little  over  three  hours,  for  he  was  stout  of  legs  and 
of  fine  wind.  He  prepared  for  the  hike  across  country  by  having 
the  village  cobbler  tack  a  heel  on  his  "female"  shoe. 

The  day  was  glorious  and  he  felt  very  thankful  over  the  prospects, 
and  was  especially  kind  to  Waffles  when  he  chained  him  to  a  post 
under  the  freight-station  platform,  where  he  would  have  plenty  of 
shade.  He  fed  his  faithful  friend  with  ten  cents'  worth  of  beef 
bones,  placed  a  big  can  of  water  beside  him,  and  kissed  him  good-by. 

"Chief"  McCue  was  at  the  station  on  duty  as  usual,  and  he 
promised  Buddy  that  if  the  freight  house  caught  fire  he  would  un- 
chain the  dog  even  before  he  turned  in  an  alarm.  "You  leave 
him  to  me.  Buddy,"  said  the  old  constable.  "When  things  is 
dull,  about  two  o'clock,  I'll  give  him  fresh  water  and  take  him 
for  a  little  walk  just  to  cheer  him  up.  You  go  ahead  and  have  a 
good  time.     Fm  going  to  the  show  tonight  —  if  nothing  happens." 

With  a  word  of  gratitude  Buddy  peeled  off  his  heavy  coat,  threw 
it  nonchalantly  over  his  arm  and  was  off  down  the  road.  It  was 
eight  o'clock  and  he  counted  on  covering  the  ten  miles  by  noon. 
He  wanted  at  least  an  hour  for  the  calm  inspection  of  the  circus 
encampment  and  a  personal  view  of  each  freak  in  the  side  shows. 
Then  he  would  need  an  hour  for  the  menagerie  and  a  careful  study 
of  the  "Bengal  Man-eater"  and  "Majestic,  the  Untamable  African 
Lion,  Who  Has  Devoured  Four  Keepers."  He  quickened  his 
stride  as  he  busied  his  mind  with  these  details. 

Only  three  times  did  Buddy  stop  to  rest,  and,  as  he  had  been 
unable  to  sleep  the  night  before  because  of  excitement,  he  rested 
either  standing  up  or  seated  on  a  fallen  log  for  fear  that  he  might 
doze  off.     At  the  last  resting  place  he  found  that  the  newly  nailed 


HOW   TO  BE  INTERESTING  49 

heel  on  his  shoe  had  been  lost.  With  two  rocks  he  hammered  the 
tacks  flat  and  was  off  in  the  stretch.  The  sun  was  directly  over- 
head when  he  saw  the  waving  banners  above  the  tented  city  and 
then  the  softly  gleaming  white  tops  of  the  tents  themselves. 

When  he  reached  the  circus  grounds,  he  found  a  pump  and  stuck 
his  mouth  under  it,  working  the  handle  himself  as  only  a  thirsty 
boy  can.  Then  he  bought  a  big  sandwich,  and  with  this  to  nibble 
on  luxuriously  he  made  the  preliminary  inspection  of  the  tents, 
examining  every  guy  rope,  flap,  and  peg,  studying  the  layout  of 
the  kitchen  and  mess  tents,  and  learning  the  locations  of  dressing 
rooms  for  the  men  and  women. 

Presently  he  personally  met  a  Clown!  At  first  it  seemed  that 
he  was  dreaming,  but  there  stood  the  Clown,  his  white  face  and 
egglike  head  unmistakably  real.  He  was  speaking  to  him  —  speak- 
ing to  Buddy  Noname ! 

''Hi,  kid ! "  Buddy  heard  him  say.  "I'd  like  to  buy  them  clothes 
from  you.    They'd  do  for  a  make-up,  believe  me." 

He  stood  at  the  entrance  of  the  dressing  tent  for  men,  grinning 
hideously  in  his  paint  and  powder. 

''I  ain't  much  on  clothes,  Mister  Clown,"  Buddy  finally  managed 
to  say;  ''but  I'll  betcher  I  got  a  dog  can  lay  over  any  dog  you  got 
in  this  show." 

"You* have,  eh?    And  wot  might  be  his  name?" 

"Waffles." 

"Waffles!"  cried  the  Clown.  "It's  a  fine  name.  Wot's 
yours?" 

"Buddy." 

The  Clown  roared.  "Say,"  he  said,  "if  you  ain't  got  no  family 
ties  and  want  to  join  the  circus,  come  to  see  me.  Ask  for  Smithy 
—  Boob  Smithy  —  and  I'll  take  you  along.  I  need  a  boy  clown 
and  a  trick  dog."    Then  he  disappeared  behind  the  canvas  flap. 

For  the  rest  of  the  afternoon  Buddy  remained  in  a  dream.  Al- 
most mechanically  he  carried  out  his  program  of  seeing  all  the 
freaks  and  getting  his  top  seat  for  the  big  show;  but  all  the  time 
the  thought  of  fetching  Waffles  to  that  dressing  tent  and  showing 
Boob  Smithy  what  that  wonderful  dog  could  do  filled  his  mind. 


60  GOOD  ENGLISH 

He  cut  out  the  concert  and  started  comparatively  early  on  the 
long  hike  back  to  base.  It  was  pitch  black  by  the  time  he  had 
covered  the  fifth  homeward  mile,  and  he  found  that,  the  shoe  with 
the  lost  heel  having  given  up  trying  to  keep  up  with  him,  his  foot 
was  torn  and  bleeding.  Sitting  down  in  the  road  he  tore  off  half 
his  shirt  and  bandaged  the  wounded  member,  starting  off  with  a 
limp  to  do  the  next  five  miles.  It  was  well  after  daybreak  when 
he  crawled  into  the  village. 

He  dragged  himself  across  the  railroad  tracks  and  groped  beneath 
the  freight  platform  for  Waffles. 

He  was  gone ! 

rv 

Nobody  bothered  about  Buddy  as  he  lay  on  the  ground,  half 
under  the  freight  station,  any  more  than  anybody  had  bothered 
about  him  previously.  He  lay  half-hidden  and  half-senseless, 
certain  of  only  one  friend  —  Waffles ;  and  he  was  gone !  Used  to 
neglect.  Buddy  soon  fell  off  into  a  sleep  of  exhaustion  against  the 
breast  of  the  only  mother  he  had  ever  known.  He  was  awakened 
by  a  familiar  voice,  and,  lifting  himself  on  an  elbow,  was  rejoiced 
to  see  Waffles  tugging  at  the  end  of  a  chain  held  by  McCue. 

"Hi,  Chief!"  he  called,  scrambling  to  his  feet  and  limping  across 
the  tracks.  "Here  I  am!  Did  ye  think  I  was  lost?"  Waffles 
in  a  paroxysm  of  joy  howled  at  the  top  of  his  voice.  "I  was  late 
getting  back,"  continued  Buddy  as  he  reached  for  the  leash  of  his 
friend.     "Me  feet  give  out  on  the  way." 

McCue  did  not  surrender  the  chain  to  the  boy.  His  face  was  a 
shade  whiter  than  usual. 

"Lemme  take  him  now.  Chief,"  the  boy  urged.  "It's  been 
mighty  kind  of  you  to  look  out  for  the  old  feller  for  me." 

"Ye  can't  take  him.  Buddy,"  the  constable  replied  in  a  low 
voice.  "Ten  o'clock  yestiddy  the  Mayor  serves  me  with  an  order 
to  kill  him  within  twenty-four  hours  because  he  ain't  got  no  license 
and  a  lot  of  ladies  signed  a  complaint  against  him.  I  wanted 
to—" 

"Kill   me   dawg!"    cried   Buddy.    "Kill   Waffles?    Wot's   he 


HOW  TO  BE  INTERESTING  51 

done?    Did  he  bite  anybody,  Chief?"    He  fell  on  his  knees  and 
put  his  arms  about  his  friend's  neck. 

"He  ain't  done  nuthin'/'  replied  McCue.  "They  ain't  done 
said  a  thing  agin  him  'ceptin'  he  was  a  nuisance." 

A  sob  broke  from  Buddy's  lips.  "Ye  can't  kill  him;  ye  can't 
kill  him!"  the  boy  moaned,  pressing  the  cur  to  his  breast.  "Kill 
me,  Chief,  won't  ye,  please?  Kill  me  'stead  of  him.  Please, 
Chief,  don't  you  shoot  me  dawg." 

It  was  a  job  to  be  done  with  in  a  hurry,  and  McCue  was  sorry 
that  his  ragged  friend  had  come  back.  In  a  few  minutes  the  station 
would  be  crowded  with  people — respectable  people  —  and  swift 
commission  of  this  duly  ordained  murder  could  not  be  enacted 
there.  The  old  constable  dragged  the  dog  from  the  arms  of  his 
little  master  and  started  down  the  hard-beaten  track  beside  the 
rails.  Waffles  struggled  in  vain,  calling  on  Buddy  to  come  along 
too. 

The  boy  rubbed  the  mud  made  by  his  tears  clear  of  his  eyes  and 
started  after  the  constable  and  his  dog.  His  bandaged  left  foot 
dragged  heavily,  his  sobs  broke  the  quiet  of  the  country  air,  his 
lips  writhed  in  anguish,  his  poor  rags  fluttered  about  him,  and  his 
pitiful  little  soul  within  him  was  dying  with  crucifying  pains. 

Because  of  the  struggles  of  Waffles,  Buddy  managed  to  catch 
up  with  them.  A  quarter  mile  down  the  track  McCue  stopped 
and  pulled  out  a  big,  old-fashioned  silver  watch. 

"In  twenty-four  hours.  Buddy,"  he  said  solemnly.  "They  give 
me  the  order  at  ten  o'clock  yestiddy.     It's  nine-fifty  now." 

Buddy  dropped  to  the  ground,  his  arms  about  the  neck  of  his 
dog.     "  Don't  km  him,  don't  kill  him,  Chief ! "  he  begged. 

"He's  only  got  ten  minutes.  Buddy." 

"I  ain't  never  had  another  friend  on  earth,"  moaned  Buddy. 
The  dog  whimpered  and  licked  the  chin  and  cheeks  of  his  master. 

".Time's  up.  Buddy;  you'd  better  go  away  now."  The  con- 
stable dropped  his  watch  into  his  pocket  and  heaved  forth  an  old- 
fashioned  horse  pistol.  As  he  did  so  Waffles  yanked  himself  free, 
but  only  for  a  moment,  for  the  big  foot  of  McCue  came  down  on 
the  chain. 


DON  T   KILL  HIM,    DON  T   KILL  HIM,    CHIEF  ] 


HOW   TO  BE  INTERESTING  53 

"You  ain't  going  to  shoot  him  chained  up,"  begged  Buddy. 
"He  won't  go  away  from  me  and  I  can't  run  with  a  lame  foot. 
Loosen  him,  won't  you?" 

"I  don't  mind  doing  that  for  ye,  son,"  replied  McCue.  "There 
ain't  nothing  in  the  order  about  shooting  him  chained  up.  It  says 
just  to  shoot  and  kill  him." 

McCue  unleashed  the  dog,  and,  with  a  word  lifted  on  a  sob, 
Buddy  ordered  his  friend  to  stand  at  attention.  Not  a  muscle, 
sinew  or  hair  of  the  brute  moved  after  the  word  was  spoken.  But 
in  his  brown  eyes  came  a  message  of  affection,  fidelity,  and  undying 
faith  to  the  eyes  of  his  master. 

McCue  was  aiming  his  great  pistol. 

"Sit  up!"  came  the  command  from  the  swollen  lips  of  the  boy. 
Waffles  rose  to  his  haunches,  his  forepaws  pointed  downward 
pathetically.  "  Take  aim !"  cried  Buddy.  "Fire!"  As  he  shouted 
the  last  word  he  fell  against  the  side  of  old  Tom,  the  horse  pistol 
roaring  to  the  clear  heavens,  spitting  a  tongue  of  fire  and  a  cloud  of 
smoke. 

Waffles  dropped  over  on  his  side  and  lay  stark  and  still  in  the 
path. 

"By  gum!"  cried  McCue.  "I  done  it  with  one  shot.  I'm  glad 
of  that,  Buddy."  He  slipped  his  pistol  into  its  holster  under  his 
coat  and  turned  to  the  boy,  taking  his  dirty,  tear-stained  face  in 
his  shaky  hands.  "Don't  blame  me,  son,"  he  said  in  a  husky 
voice.  "I  had  to  obey  orders.  You  take  him  and  bury  him.  I 
know  how  you  loved  him." 

"I'll  put  him  away  in  the  woods  over  yonder,"  replied  Buddy. 

McCue  tm-ned  and  trudged  up  the  path  beside  the  rails  toward 
the  station,  shaking  his  head  sadly. 

Buddy  lifted  his  stark  friend  to  a  shoulder  and  stole  into  the 
underbrush  beside  the  tracks,  burrowing  deeper  and  deeper  until 
his  strength  gave  out.  Now,  fully  screened  from  all  eyes,  he  laid 
down  his  precious  burden  and  uttered  the  one  magic  word :  "Waf- 
fles!" 

The  corpse  stirred. 

"Sit  up!" 


54  GOOD  ENGLISH 

The  corpse  sat  up. 

Buddy  pointed  a  finger  at  him  and  said  slowly:  "Take  aim' 
Fire!'' 

Wafiles  flopped  over  on  his  side. 

''Git  up!" 

The  corpse  got  up  again. 

"Come  over  and  kiss  your  boss." 

Waffles  needed  no  further  invitation. 

Buddy  then  cleared  a  spot  in  the  underbrush  and  with  a  grateful 
sigh  threw  himself  on  the  bare  ground. 

"Now  we'll  go  to  sleep,"  he  said;  and  his  dog  coiled  up  close 
to  the  empty  stomach  of  his  master,  warming  it,  "When  we  both 
git  up  we'll  start  after  that  circus,"  added  Buddy  drowsily.  "We'll 
■ —  show  —  them  —  sumpin'  —  eeyah !  —  won't  we  ?  " 

To  THE  Death  1 
(From  Jack  London's  The  Call  of  the  Wild,  Chapter  III) 

.  .  .  Spitz,  cold  and  calculating  even  in  his  supreme  moods,  left 
the  pack  and  cut  across  a  narrow  neck  of  land  where  the  creek  made 
a  long  bend  around.  Buck  did  not  know  of  this,  and  as  he  rounded 
the  bend,  the  frost  wraith  of  a  rabbit  still  flitting  before  him,  he 
saw  another  and  larger  frost  wraith  leap  from  the  overhanging  bank 
into  the  immediate  path  of  the  rabbit.  It  was  Spitz.  The  rabbit 
could  not  turn,  and  as  the  white  teeth  broke  its  back  in  mid  air 
it  shrieked  as  loudly  as  a  stricken  man  may  shriek.  .  .  . 

Buck  did  not  cry  out.  He  did  not  check  himself,  but  drove  in 
upon  Spitz,  shoulder  to  shoulder,  so  hard  that  he  missed  the  throat. 
They  rolled  over  and  over  in  the  powdery  snow.  Spitz  gained  his 
feet  almost  as  though  he  had  not  been  overthrown,  slashing  Buck 
down  the  shoulder  and  leaping  clear.  Twice  his  teeth  clipped 
together,  Hke  the  steel  jaws  of  a  trap,  as  he  backed  away  for  better 
footing,  with  lean  and  lifting  lips  that  writhed  and  snarled. 

In  a  flash  Buck  knew  it.  The  time  had  come.  It  was  to  the 
death.  As  they  circled  about,  snarling,  ears  laid  back,  keenly 
^  Used  by  permission  of  The  Macmillan  Company. 


HOW   TO  BE  INTERESTING  55 

watchful  for  the  advantage,  the  scene  came  to  Buck  with  a  sense  of 
familiarity.  He  seemed  to  remember  it  all,  —  the  white  woods, 
and  earth,  and  moonhght,  and  the  thrill  of  battle.  Over  the  white- 
ness and  silence  brooded  a  ghostly  calm.  ...  It  was  as  though  it 
had  always  been,  the  wonted  way  of  things. 

Spitz  was  a  practised  fighter.  ...  He  never  rushed  till  he  was 
prepared  to  receive  a  rush ;  never  attacked  till  he  had  first  defended 
that  attack. 

In  vain  Buck  strove  to  sink  his  teeth  in  the  neck  of  the  big  white 
dog.  Wherever  his  fangs  struck  for  the  softer  flesh,  they  were 
countered  by  the  fangs  of  Spitz.  Fang  clashed  fang,  and  lips  were 
cut  and  bleeding,  but  Buck  could  not  penetrate  his  enemy's  guard. 
Then  he  warmed  up  and  enveloped  Spitz  in  a  whirlwind  of  rushes. 
Time  and  time  again  he  tried  for  the  snow-white  throat,  where  life 
bubbled  near  to  the  surface,  and  each  time  and  every  time  Spitz 
slashed  him  and  got  away.  Then  Buck  took  to  rushing,  as  though 
for  the  throat,  when,  suddenly  drawing  back  his  head  and  curving 
in  from  the  side,  he  would  drive  his  shoulder  at  the  shoulder  of 
Spitz,  as  a  ram  by  which  to  overthrow  him.  But  instead  Buck's 
shoulder  was  slashed  down  each  time  as  Spitz  leaped  Ughtly  away. 

Spitz  was  untouched,  while  Buck  was  streaming  with  blood  and 
panting  hard.  The  fight  was  growing  desperate.  And  all  the 
while  the  silent  and  wolfish  circle  waited  to  finish  off  whichever 
dog  went  down.  As  Buck  grew  winded.  Spitz  took  to  rushing, 
and  he  kept  him  staggering  for  footing.  Once  Buck  went  over,  and 
the  whole  circle  of  sixty  dogs  started  up ;  but  he  recovered  himself, 
almost  in  mid  air,  and  the  circle  sank  down  again  and  waited. 

But  Buck  possessed  a  quality  that  made  for  greatness  —  imagina- 
tion. He  fought  by  instinct,  but  he  could  fight  by  head  as  well.  He 
rushed,  as  though  attempting  the  old  shoulder  trick,  but  at  the 
last  instant  swept  low  to  the  snow  and  in.  His  teeth  closed  on 
Spitz's  left  fore  leg.  There  was  a  crunch  of  breaking  bone,  and  the 
white  dog  faced  him  on  three  legs.  Thrice  he  tried  to  knock  him 
over,  then  repeated  the  trick  and  broke  the  right  fore  leg.  Despite 
the  pain  and  helplessness.  Spitz  struggled  madly  to  keep  up.  He 
saw  the  silent  circle,  with  gleaming  eyes,  loUing  tongues  and  silvery 


56  GOOD  ENGLISH 

breaths  drifting  upward,  closing  in  upon  him  as  he  had  seen  similar 
circles  close  in  upon  beaten  antagonists  in  the  past.  Only  this 
time  he  was  the  one  who  was  beaten. 

There  was  no  hope  for  him.  Buck  was  inexorable.  Mercy  was 
a  thing  reserved  for  gentler  cUmes.  He  manoeuvred  for  the  final 
rush.  The  circle  had  tightened  till  he  could  feel  the  breaths  of  the 
huskies  on  his  flanks.  He  could  see  them,  beyond  Spitz  and  to 
either  side,  half  crouching  for  the  spring,  their  eyes  fixed  upon  him. 
A  pause  seemed  to  fall.  Every  animal  was  motionless  as  though 
turned  to  stone.  Only  Spitz  quivered  and  bristled  as  he  staggered 
back  and  forth,  snarhng  with  horrible  menace,  as  though  to  frighten 
off  impending  death.  Then  Buck  sprang  in  and  out ;  but  while  he 
was  in,  shoulder  had  at  last  squarely  met  shoulder.  The  dark 
circle  became  a  dot  on  the  moon-flooded  snow  as  Spitz  disappeared 
from  view.  Buck  stood  and  looked  on,  the  successful  champion, 
the  dominant  primordial  beast  who  had  made  his  kill  and  found  it 
good. 

The  Parable  of  the  Talents 
(From  the  New  Testament) 

For  it  is  as  when  a  man,  going  into  another  country,  called  his 
own  servants,  and  delivered  unto  them  his  goods.  And  unto  one 
he  gave  five  talents,  to  another  two,  to  another  one ;  to  each  accord- 
ing to  his  several  ability ;  and  he  went  on  his  journey.  Straight- 
way he  that  received  the  five  talents  went  and  traded  with  them, 
and  made  other  five  talents.  In  hke  manner  he  also  that  received 
the  two  gained  other  two.  But  he  that  received  the  one  went  away 
and  digged  in  the  earth,  and  hid  his  lord's  money. 

Now  after  a  long  time  the  lord  of  those  servants  cometh,  and 
maketh  a  reckoning  with  them.  And  he  that  received  the  five 
talents  came  and  brought  other  five  talents,  saying.  Lord,  thou 
deliveredst  unto  me  five  talents:  lo,  I  have  gained  other  five 
talents.  His  lord  said  unto  him.  Well  done,  good  and  faithful 
servant :  thou  hast  been  faithful  over  a  few  things,  I  will  set  thee 
over  many  things;   enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  lord.    And  he 


HOW  TO  BE  INTERESTING  57 

also  that  received  the  two  talents  came  and  said,  Lord,  thou  de- 
liveredst  unto  me  two  talents :  lo,  I  have  gained  other  two  talents. 
His  lord  said  unto  him,  Well  done,  good^and  faithful  servant :  thou 
hast  been  faithful  over  a  few  things,  I  will  set  thee  over  many  things ; 
enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  lord. 

And  he  also  that  had  received  the  one  talent  came  and  said, 
Lord,  I  knew  thee  that  thou  art  a  hard  man,  reaping  where  thou 
didst  not  sow,  and  gathering  where  thou  didst  not  scatter;  and  I 
was  afraid,  and  went  away  and  hid  thy  talent  in  the  earth:  lo, 
thou  hast  thine  own.  But  his  lord  answered  and  said  unto  him, 
Thou  wicked  and  slothful  servant,  thou  knewest  that  I  reap  where  I 
sowed  not,  and  gather  where  I  did  not  scatter;  thou  oughtest 
therefore  to  have  put  my  money  to  the  bankers,  and  at  my  coming 
I  should  have  received  back  mine  own  with  interest.  Take  ye 
away  therefore  the  talent  from  him,  and  give  it  unto  him  that  hath 
the  ten  talents.  For  unto  every  one  that  hath  shall  be  given,  and 
he  shall  have  abundance :  but  from  him  that  hath  not,  even  that 
which  he  hath  shall  be  taken  away. 

LESSON   SEVEN 

Stories  in  Prose  Told  in  the  First  Person 

Read  one  of  the  following  stories  and  be  able  to  tell  it  in 
your  own  words  to  your  classmates.  Observe  that  these 
stories  are  told  in  the  first  person.  Note  especially,  in  re- 
telling the  first  of  the  group,  these  points :  1.  Hugh  and 
his  mother.  2.  Hugh  and  his  father.  3.  Hugh's  honesty. 
4.   David  Dove  and  Hugh's  father. 

Hugh's  School  Days^ 

(From  S.  Weir  MitcheWs  Hugh  Wynne:  Free  Quaker,  Chapter  II) 

The  day  I  went  to  school  for  the  first  time  is  very  clear  in  my 
memory.     I  can  see  myself,  a  stout  little  fellow  about  eight  years 
1  Used  by  permission  of  The  Century  Company. 


58  GOOD  ENGLISH 

old,  clad  in  gray  homespun,  with  breeches,  low  shoes,  and  a  low, 
flat  beaver  hat.  I  can  hear  my^mother  say,  "Here  are  two  big 
apples  for  thy  master,"  it  being  the  custom  so  to  propitiate  peda- 
gogues. Often  afterward  I  took  eggs  m  a  little  basket,  or  flowers, 
and  others  did  the  like. 

''Now  run !  run !"  she  cried,  "and  be  a  good  boy ;  run,  or  thou 
wilt  be  late."  And  she  clapped  her  hands  as  I  sped  away,  now  and 
then  looking  back  over  my  shoulder. 

I  remember  as  well  my  return  home  to  this  solid  house,  this  first 
day  of  my  going  to  school.  One  is  apt  to  associate  events  with 
persons,  and  my  mother  stood  leaning  on  the  half-door  as  I  came 
running  back.  She  was  some  Uttle  reassured  to  see  me  smil- 
ing, for,  to  tell  the  truth,  I  had  been  mightily  scared  at  my  new 
venture.  .  .  . 

As  I  came  she  set  those  large,  childlike  eyes  on  me,  and  opening 
the  lower  half-door,  cried  out : 

"  I  could  scarce  wait  for  thee !  I  wish  I  could  have  gone  with 
thee,  Hugh ;  and  was  it  dreadful?  Come,  let  us  see  thy  little  book. 
And  did  they  praise  thy  reading?  Didst  thou  tell  them  I  taught 
thee?  There  are  girls,  I  hear,"  and  so  on  —  a  way  she  had  of  ask- 
ing many  questions  without  waiting  for  a  reply. 

As  we  chatted  we  passed  through  the  hall,  where  tall  mahogany 
chairs  stood  dark  against  the  white-washed  walls,  such  as  were  in 
all  the  rooms.  Joyous  at  escape  from  school,  and  its  confinement 
of  three  long,  weary  hours,  from  eight  to  eleven,  I  dropped  my 
mother's  hand,  and,  running  a  Uttle,  shd  down  the  long  entry  over 
the  thinly  sanded  floor,  and  then  slipping,  came  down  with  a  rueful 
countenance,  as  nature,  foreseeing  results,  meant  that  a  boy  should 
descend  when  his  legs  fail  him.  My  mother  sat  down  on  a  settle, 
and  spread  out  both  palms  toward  me,  laughing,  and  crying  out : 

"So  near  are  joy  and  grief,  my  friends,  in  this  world  of  sorrow." 

This  was  said  so  exactly  with  the  voice  and  manner  of  a  famous 
preacher  of  our  Meeting  that  even  I,  a  lad  then  of  only  eight  years, 
recognized  the  imitation.  Indeed,  she  was  wonderful  at  this  trick 
of  mimicry,  a  thing  most  odious  to  Friends.  As  I  smiled,  hearing 
her,  I  was  aware  of  my  father  in  the  open  doorway  of  the  sitting- 


NOW   RUN  1    EUN  I  "    SHE    CRIED. 


60  GOOD  ENGLISH 

room,  tall,  strong,  with  much  iron-gray  hair.  Within  I  saw  several 
Friends,  large  rosy  men  in  drab,  with  horn  buttons  and  straight 
collars,  their  stout  legs  clad  in  dark  silk  hose,  without  the  paste  or 
silver  buckles  then  in  use.  All  wore  broad-brimmed,  low  beavers, 
and  their  gold-headed  canes  rested  between  their  knees. 

My  father  said  to  me,  in  his  sharp  way,  "Take  thy  noise  out  into 
the  orchard.  The  child  disturbs  us,  wife.  Thou  shouldst  know 
better.  A  committee  of  overseers  is  with  me."  He  disUked  the 
name  Marie,  and  was  never  heard  to  use  it,  nor  even  its  English 
equivalent. 

Upon  this  the  dear  lady  murmured,  "Let  us  fly,  Hugh,"  and  she 
ran  on  tiptoe  along  the  hall  with  me,  while  my  father  closed  the 
door.  "Come,"  she  added,  "and  see  the  floor.  I  am  proud  of  it. 
We  have  friends  to  eat  dinner  with  us  at  two."  .  .  . 

And  thus  began  my  Ufe  at  school,  to  which  I  went  twice  a  day, 
my  father  not  approving  of  the  plan  of  three  sessions  a  day,  which 
was  common,  nor,  for  some  reason,  I  know  not  what,  of  schools 
kept  by  Friends.  So  it  was  that  I  set  out  before  eight,  and  went 
again  from  two  to  four.  .  .  . 

I  have  observed  that  teachers  are  often  eccentric,  and  surely 
David  Dove  was  no  exception,  nor  do  I  now  know  why  so  odd  a 
person  was  chosen  by  many  for  the  care  of  youth.  I  fancy  my 
mother  had  to  do  with  the  choice  in  my  case,  and  was  influenced  by 
the  fact  that  Dove  rarely  used  the  birch,  but  had  a  queer  fancy  for 
setting  culprits  on  a  stool,  with  the  birch  switch  stuck  in  the  back 
of  the  jacket,  so  as  to  stand  up  behind  the  head.  I  hated  this,  and 
would  rather  have  been  birched  secundum  artem  ^  than  to  have  seen 
the  girls  gigghng  at  me.     I  changed  my  opinion  later.  .  .  . 

Our  school  Ufe  with  Dove  ended  after  four  years  in  an  odd  fashion. 
I  was  then  about  twelve,  and  had  become  a  vigorous,  daring  boy, 
with,  as  it  now  seems  to  me,  something  of  the  fortunate  gayety  of 
my  mother.  Other  lads  thought  it  singular  that  in  peril  I  became 
strangely  vivacious ;  but  underneath  I  had  a  share  of  the  relentless 
firmness  of  my  father,  and  of  his  vast  disUke  of  failure,  and  of  his 
love  of  truth.    I  have  often  thought  that  the  father  in  me  saved  me 

*  According  to  the  usual  method. 


HOW  TO  BE  INTERESTING  61 

from  the  consequences  of  so  much  of  my  mother's  gentler  nature 
as  might  have  done  me  harm  in  the  rude  conflicts  of  life. 

David  Dove,  among  other  odd  ways,  devised  a  plan  for  punishing 
the  unpunctual  which  had  considerable  success.  One  day,  when  I 
had  far  overstayed  the  hour  of  eight,  by  reason  of  having  cUmbed 
into  Friend  Pemberton's  gardens,  where  I  was  tempted  by  many 
green  apples,  I  was  met  by  four  older  boys.  One  had  a  lantern, 
which,  with  much  laughter,  he  tied  about  my  neck,  and  one,  march- 
ing before,  rang  a  bell.  I  had  seen  this  queer  punishment  fall  on 
others,  and  certainly  the  amusement  shown  by  people  in  the  streets 
would  not  have  hurt  me  compared  with  the  advantage  of  pockets 
full  of  apples,  had  I  not  of  a  sudden  seen  my  father,  who  usually 
breakfasted  at  six,  and  was  at  his  warehouse  by  seven.  He  looked 
at  me  composedly,  but  went  past  us  saying  nothing. 

On  my  return  about  eleven,  he  miluckily  met  me  in  the  garden, 
for  I  had  gone  the  back  way  in  order  to  hide  my  apples.  I  had  an 
unpleasant  half-hour,  despite  my  mother's  tears,  and  was  sent  at 
once  to  confess  to  Friend  James  Pemberton.  The  good  man  said  I 
was  a  naughty  boy,  but  must  come  later  when  the  apples  were  red 
ripe,  and  I  should  take  all  I  wanted,  and  I  might  fetch  with  me 
another  boy,  or  even  two.  I  never  forgot  this,  and  did  him  some 
good  turns  in  after-years,  and  right  gladly  too. 

In  my  own  mind  I  associated  David  Dove  with  this  painful  inter- 
view with  my  father.  I  disliked  him  the  more  because,  when  the 
procession  entered  the  school,  a  little  girl  for  whom  Warder  and  I 
had  a  boy  friendship,  in  place  of  laughing,  as  did  the  rest,  for  some 
reason  began  to  cry.  This  angered  the  master,  who  had  the  lack 
of  self-control  often  seen  in  eccentric  people.  He  asked  why  she 
cried,  and  on  her  sobbing  out  that  it  was  because  she  was  sorry  for 
me,  he  bade  her  take  off  her  stays.  These  being  stiff,  and  worn 
outside  the  gown,  would  have  made  the  punishment  of  the  birch 
on  the  shoulders  of  trifling  moment. 

As  it  was  usual  to  whip  girls  at  school,  the  little  maid  said  nothing 
but  did  as  she  was  bid,  taking  a  sharp  birching  without  a  cry. 
Meanwhile  I  sat  with  my  head  in  my  hands,  and  my  fingers  in  my 
ears  lest  I  should  hear  her  weeping.    After  school  that  evening, 


62  GOOD  ENGLISH 

when  all  but  Warder  and  I  had  wandered  home,  I  wrote  on  the  out- 
side wall  of  the  school-house  with  chalk,  ''David  Dove  Is  A  Cruel 
Beast,"  and  went  away  somewhat  better  contented. 

Now,  with  all  his  seeming  dislike  to  use  the  rod,  David  had  turns 
of  severity,  and  then  he  was  far  more  brutal  than  any  man  I  have 
ever  known.  Therefore  it  did  not  surprise  us  next  morning  that 
the  earlier  scholars  were  looking  with  wonder  and  alarm  at  the 
sentence  on  the  wall,  when  Dove,  appearing  behind  us,  ordered  us 
to  enter  at  once. 

Going  to  his  desk,  he  put  on  his  spectacles,  which  then  were 
worn  astride  of  the  nose.  In  a  minute  he  set  on  below  them  a 
second  pair,  and  this  we  knew  to  be  a  signal  of  coming  violence. 
Then  he  stood  up,  and  asked  who  had  written  the  opprobrious 
epithet  on  the  wall.  As  no  one  repHed,  he  asked  several  in  turn, 
but  luckily  chose  the  girls,  thinking,  perhaps,  that  they  would 
weakly  betray  the  sinner.  Soon  he  lost  patience,  and  cried  out  he 
would  give  a  king's  pound  to  know. 

When  he  had  said  this  over  and  over,  I  began  to  reflect  that,  if 
he  had  any  idea  of  doing  as  he  promised,  a  pound  was  a  great  simi, 
and  to  consider  what  might  be  done  with  it  in  the  way  of  marbles 
of  Amsterdam,  tops,  and  of  certain  much-desired  books,  for  now 
this  latter  temptation  was  upon  me,  as  it  has  been  ever  since.  As 
I  sat,  and  Dove  thundered,  I  remembered  how,  when  one  Stacy, 
with  an  oath,  assured  my  father  that  his  word  was  as  good  as  his 
bond,  my  parent  said  dryly  that  this  equahty  left  him  free  to  choose, 
and  he  would  prefer  his  bond.  I  saw  no  way  to  what  was  for  me 
the  mysterious  security  of  a  bond,  but  I  did  conceive  of  some  need 
to  stiffen  the  promise  Dove  had  made  before  I  faced  the  penalty. 

Upon  this  I  held  up  a  hand,  and  the  master  cried,  "What  is  it?" 

I  said,  "Master,  if  a  boy  should  tell  thee  wouldst  thou  surely  give 
a  pound?" 

At  this  a  lad  called  "Shame !"  thinking  I  was  a  telltale. 

When  Dove  called  silence  and  renewed  his  pledge,  I,  overbold, 
said,  "Master,  I  did  it,  and  now  wilt  thou  please  to  give  me  a  pound 
—  a  king's  pound?" 

"I  will  give  thee  a  pounding!"  he  roared;  and  upon  this  came 


HOW   TO  BE  INTERESTING  63 

down  from  his  raised  form,  and  gave  me  a  beating  so  terrible  and 
cruel  that  at  last  the  girls  cried  aloud,  and  he  let  me  drop  on  the 
floor,  sore  and  angry.  I  lay  still  awhile,  and  then  went  to  my  seat. 
As  I  bent  over  my  desk,  it  was  rather  the  sense  that  I  had  been 
wronged,  than  the  pain  of  the  blows,  which  troubled  me. 

After  school,  refusing  speech  to  any,  I  walked  home,  and  min- 
istered to  my  poor  little  bruised  body  as  I  best  could.  Now  this 
being  a  Saturday,  and  therefore  a  half-holiday,  I  ate  at  two  with  my 
father  and  mother. 

Presently,  my  father  detecting  my  uneasy  movements,  said, 
"Hast  thou  been  birched  today,  and  for  what  badness?" 

Upon  this  my  mother  said  softly,  "What  is  it,  my  son ?  Have  no 
fear."  And  this  gentleness  being  too  much  for  me,  I  fell  to  tears, 
and  blurted  out  all  my  Uttle  tragedy. 

As  I  ended,  my  father  rose,  very  angry,  and  cried  out,  "Come 
this  way ! "  But  my  mother  caught  me,  saying,  "No !  no !  Look, 
John !  see  his  poor  neck  and  his  wrist !  What  a  brute !  I  tell  thee, 
thou  shalt  not !  it  were  a  sin.  Leave  him  to  me,"  and  she  thrust 
me  behind  her  as  if  for  safety. 

To  my  surprise,  he  said,  "As  thou  wilt,"  and  my  mother  hurried 
me  away.  We  had  a  grave,  sweet  talk,  and  there  it  ended  for  a 
time.  I  learned  that,  after  all,  the  woman's  was  the  stronger  will. 
I  was  put  to  bed  and  declared  to  have  a  fever,  and  given  sulphur  and 
treacle,  and  kept  out  of  the  paternal^  paths  for  a  mournful  day  of 
enforced  rest. 

On  the  Monday  following  I  went  to  school  as  usual,  but  not 
without  fear  of  Dove.  When  we  were  all  busy,  about  ten  o'clock, 
I  was  amazed  to  hear  my  father's  voice.  He  stood  before  the  desk, 
and  addressed  Master  Dove  in  a  loud  voice,  meaning,  I  suppose,  to 
be  heard  by  all  of  us. 

"David  Dove,"  he  said,  "my  son  has  been  guilty  of  disrespect 
to  thee,  and  to  thy  office.  I  do  not  say  he  has  hed,  for  it  is  my 
beUef  that  thou  art  truly  an  unjust  and  cruel  beast.  As  for  his  sin, 
he  has  suffered  enough  [I  felt  glad  of  this  final  opinion] ;  but  a  bar- 
gain was  made.  He,  on  his  part,  for  a  consideration  of  one  pound 
sterling,  was  to  tell  thee  who  wrote  certain  words.    He  has  paid  thee 


64  GOOD  ENGLISH 

and  thou  hast  taken  interest  out  of  his  skin.  Indeed,  Friend  Shy- 
lock,  I  think  he  weighs  less  by  a  pound.  Thou  wilt  give  him  his 
pound,  Master  David." 

Upon  this  a  Httle  maid  near  by  smiled  at  me,  and  Warder  punched 
me  in  the  ribs.  Master  Dove  was  silent  a  moment,  and  then 
answered  that  there  was  no  law  to  make  him  pay,  and  that  he  had 
spoken  hghtly,  as  one  might  say,  "I  would  give  this  or  that  to 
know."    But  my  father  replied  at  once : 

"The  boy  trusted  thee,  and  was  as  good  as  his  word.  I  advise 
thee  to  pay.  As  thou  art  Master  to  punish  boys,  so  will  I,  David, 
use  thy  birch  on  thee  at  need,  and  trust  to  the  great  Master  to 
reckon  with  me  if  I  am  wrong." 

All  this  he  said  so  fiercely  that  I  trembled  with  joy,  and  hoped 
that  Dove  would  deny  him ;  but,  in  place  of  this,  he  muttered  some- 
thing about  Meeting  and  Friends,  and  meanwhile  searched  his 
pockets  and  brought  out  a  guinea.  This  my  father  dropped  into 
his  breeches  pocket,  saying,  "The  shilling  will  be  for  interest"  (a 
guinea  being  a  shilling  over  a  king's  pound).  After  this,  turning  to 
me,  he  said,  "Come  with  me,  Hugh,"  and  went  out  of  the  school- 
house,  I  following  after,  very  well  pleased,  and  thinking  of  my 
guinea. 

The  Day  of  Judgment 
(From  Elizabeth  Stuart  Phelps  Ward's  Trotty's  Wedding  Tour) 

I  am  fourteen  years  old  and  Jill  is  twelve  and  a  quarter.  Jill 
is  my  brother.  That  isn't  his  name,  you  know ;  his  name  is  Timothy 
and  mine  is  George  Zacharias;  but  they've  always  called  us  Jack 
and  Jill.  .  .  . 

Well,  Jill  and  I  had  an  invitation  to  Aunt  John's  this  summer,  and 
that  was  how  we  happened  to  be  there.  .  .  . 

I'd  rather  go  to  Aunt  John's  than  anywhere  else  in  this  world. 
When  I  was  a  little  fellow  I  used  to  think  I'd  rather  go  to  Aunt 
John's  than  to  go  to  Heaven.     But  I  never  dared  to  tell.  .  .  . 

She'd  invited  us  to  come  on  the  12th  of  August.  It  takes  all 
day  to  get  to  Aunt  John's.    She  lives  at  Little  River  in  New 


HOW   TO  BE  INTERESTING  65 

Hampshire  away  up.  You  have  to  wait  at  South  Lawrence  in  a 
poky  little  depot,  .  .  .  and  you  get  some  played  out.  At  least  I 
don't  but  Jill  does.  So  we  bought  a  paper  and  Jill  sat  up  and  read 
it.    When  he'd  sat  a  minute  and  read  along : 

"Look  here!"  said  he. 

''Look  where?"  said  I. 

*'Why,  there's  going  to  be  a  comet  tonight,"  said  Jill. 

"Who  cares?"  said  I. 

Jill  laid  down  the  paper,  and  crimched  a  pop-corn  all  up  before 
he  answered  that.  Then  said  he,  "I  don't  see  why  father  didn't 
tell  us.  I  s'pose  he  thought  we'd  be  frightened,  or  something. 
Why,  s'posing  the  world  did  come  to  an  end?  That's  what  this 
paper  says.  'It  is  predicted'  —  where's  my  place?  0 !  I  see  — 
'predicted  by  learned  men  that  a  comet  will  come  into  con  —  con- 
junction with  our  plant'  —  no  —  'our  planet  this  night.  Whether 
we  shall  be  plunged  into  a  wild  vortex  of  angry  space,  or  suffocated 
with  n-o-x  —  noxious  gases,  or  scorched  to  a  helpless  crisp,  or 
blasted  at  once  into  eternal  an-ni-hi '" 

A  gust  of  wind  grabbed  the  paper  out  of  Jill's  hand  just  then,  and 
took  it  out  of  the  window ;  so  I  never  heard  the  rest.  .  .  . 

"Father  isn't  a  goose,"  said  L  "He  didn't  think  it  worth  men- 
tioning.    He  isn't  going  to  be  afraid  of  a  comet  at  his  time  of  life ! " 

So  we  didn't  think  any  more  about  the  comet  till  we  got  to 
Aunt  John's.  .  .  .  There  was  company  there.  ...  It  wasn't  a 
relation,  only  an  old  schoolmate,  and  her  name  was  Miss  Togy ;  so 
she'd  come  without  an  invitation,  and  had  to  have  the  spare  room 
because  she  was  a  lady.  That  was  how  Jill  and  I  came  to  be  put 
in  the  little  chimney  bedroom.  .  .  . 

That  little  chimney  bedroom  is  the  funniest  place  you  ever  slept 
in.  .  .  .  There'd  been  a  chimney  once,  and  it  ran  up  by  the  window, 
and  grandfather  had  it  taken  away.  It  was  a  big,  old,  oZc^-fashioned 
chimney,  and  it  left  the  funniest  little  gouge  in  the  room !  So  the 
bed  went  in  as  nice  as  could  be.  We  couldn't  see  much  but  the 
ceihng  when  we  got  to  bed. 

"It's  pretty  dark,"  said  Jill;  "I  shouldn't  wonder  if  it  did  blow 
up  a  Uttle.    Wouldn't  it  scare  —  Miss  —  Bogy ! " 


66  GOOD  ENGLISH 

"Togy,"  said  I. 

"Well,  T-o — "  said  Jill;  and  right  in  the  middle  of  it  he  went 
off  as  sound  as  a  weasel. 

The  next  thing  I  can  remember  is  a  horrible  noise  —  I  can't 
think  of  but  one  thing  in  this  world  it  was  like,  and  that  isn't  in 
this  world  so  much.  I  mean  the  Last  Trumpet,  with  the  Angel 
blowing  as  he  blows  in  my  old  Primer. 

But  the  next  thing  I  remember  is  hearing  Jill  sit  up  in  bed,  —  for 
I  couldn't  see  him,  it  was  so  dark,  —  and  his  piping  out  the  other 
half  of  Miss  Togy's  name  just  as  he  had  left  it  when  he  went  to 
sleep : 

^'Gy!  Bo-gy!  Yo-gy!  Soa-ky!  —  0,"  said  Jill,  coming  to  at  last, 
''I  thought  .  .  .  why,  what's  up?" 

I  was  up,  but  I  couldn't  tell  what  else  was,  for  a  little  while. 
I  went  to  the  window.  It  was  as  dark  as  a  great  rat-hole  out-of- 
doors,  all  but  a  streak  of  lightning  and  an  awful  thunder,  as  if  the 
world  was  cracking  all  to  pieces.  .  ,  . 

"Come  to  bed !"  shouted  Jill,  "you'll  get  struck,  and  then  that'll 
kill  me." 

I  went  back  to  bed,  for  I  didn't  know  what  else  to  do.  We 
crawled  down  under  the  clothes  and  covered  ourselves  all  up. 

"W-ould  — you  —  call  Aunt  —  John?"  asked  Jill.  He  was 
'most  choked.     I  came  up  for  air. 

"No,"  said  I,  "I  don't  think  I'd  call  Aunt  John." 

I  should  have  liked  to  call  Aunt  John  by  that  time ;  but  then  I 
should  have  felt  ashamed. 

"I  s'pose  she  has  got  her  hands  full  with  Miss  Croaky,  anyway," 
chattered  Jill,  bobbing  up  for  a  breath,  and  then  bobbing  under 
again. 

By  that  time  the  storm  was  the  worst  storm  I  had  ever  seen  in 
my  life  —  it  grew  worse  and  worse.  Thunder,  lightning,  and  wind  ! 
Wind,  lightning,  and  thunder !  Rain  and  roar  and  awfulness !  I 
don't  know  how  to  tell  how  awful  it  was.  .  .  . 

In  the  middle  of  the  biggest  peal  we'd  had  yet,  up  jumped  Jill. 
"Jack!"  said  he,  "that  comet!"  I'd  never  thought  of  the  comet 
till  that  minute;   I  felt  an  ugly  feeling  and  a  little  cold  all  over. 


HOW  TO  BE  INTERESTING  67 

'It  is  the  comet!"  said  Jill.  "It  is  the  Day  of  Judgment, 
Jack."  .  .  . 

Then  it  happened.  It  happened  so  fast  I  didn't  even  have  time 
to  get  my  head  under  the  clothes. 

First  there  was  a  creak.  Then  a  crash.  Then  we  felt  a  shake  as 
if  a  giant  pushed  his  shoulder  up  through  the  floor  and  shoved  us. 
Then  we  doubled  up.  And  then  we  began  to  fall.  The  floor  opened, 
and  we  went  through.  I  heard  the  bed-post  hit  as  we  went  by.  .  .  . 
Then  I  felt  another  crash.  Then  we  began  to  fall  again.  Then 
we  bumped  down  hard.  After  that  we  stopped  falling.  I  lay 
still.  My  heels  were  doubled  up  over  my  head.  I  thought  my  neck 
would  break.     But  I  never  dared  to  stir.     I  thought  I  was  dead. 

By  and  by  I  wondered  if  Jill  were  not  dead  too.  So  I  undoubted 
my  neck  a  little  and  found  some  air.  It  seemed  to  be  just  as  un- 
comfortable ...  to  breathe  without  air  when  you  were  dead  as 
when  you  weren't. 

I  called  out  softly,  "Jill!"  No  answer.  "Jill!"  Not  a  sound. 
"O  — JILL!" 

But  he  did  not  speak.  So  then  I  knew  Jill  must  be  dead,  at 
any  rate.  I  couldn't  help  wondering  why  he  was  so  much  deader 
than  I  that  he  couldn't  answer  a  fellow.  Pretty  soon  I  heard  a 
rustling  noise  around  my  feet.  Then  a  weak,  sick  kind  of  a  noise  — 
just  the  noise  I  always  had  supposed  ghosts  would  make  if  they 
talked. 

"Jack?" 

"Is  that  you,  Jill?" 

"I  —  suppose  —  so.    Is  it  you,  Jack?" 

"Yes.    Are  ^ow  dead?" 

"  I  don't  know.    Are  you  ?  " 

"  I  guess  I  must  be  if  you  are.    How  awfully  dark  it  is ! " 

"Awfully  dark !    It  must  have  been  the  comet ! " 

"Yes ;  did  you  get  much  hurt ? " 

"  Not  much  —  I  say  —  Jack  ?  " 

"What?" 

"H  it  is  the  Judgment  Day  — "  Jill  broke  up.  So  did  I.  We 
lay  as  still  as  we  could.    If  it  were  the  Judgment  Day 


68  GOOD  ENGLISH 

"Jill!"  said  I. 

"Oh,  dear  me!"  sobbed  Jill. 

We  were  both  crying  by  that  time.  I  don't  feel  ashamed  to  own 
up,  as  far  as  I'm  concerned. 

"If  I'd  known,"  said  I,  "that  the  Day  of  Judgment  was  coming 
on  the  12th  of  August,  I  wouldn't  have  been  so  mean  about  that 
jack-knife  of  yours  with  the  notch  in  it ! " 

"And  I  wouldn't  have  eaten  up  your  luncheon  that  day  last 
winter  when  I  got  mad  at  you,"  said  Jill. 

"Nor  we  wouldn't  have  cheated  mother  about  smoking,  vaca- 
tions," said  I. 

"  I'd  never  have  played  with  the  Bailey  boys  out  behind  the  bam ! " 
said  Jill. 

"I  wonder  where  the  comet  went  to,"  said  I. 

"'Whether  we  shall  be  plunged  into,'"  quoted  Jill,  in  a  horrible 
whisper,  from  that  dreadful  newspaper,  "'shall  be  plunged  into  a 
wild  vortex  of  angry  space  —  or  suffocated  with  noxious  gases  — 
or  scorched  to  a  helpless  crisp  —  or  blasted ' " 

"When  do  you  suppose  they'll  come  after  us?"  I  interrupted  Jill. 

That  very  minute  somebody  came.  We  heard  a  step,  and  then 
another.  Then  a  heavy  bang.  Jill  howled  out  a  httle.  I  didn't, 
for  I  was  thinking  how  the  cellar  door  banged  like  that. 

Then  came  a  voice,  an  awful,  hoarse  and  trembling  voice  as 
ever  you'd  want  to  hear,     "George  Zacharias!" 

Then  I  knew  it  must  be  the  Judgment  Day  and  that  the  Angel 
had  me  up  in  court  to  answer  him.  For  you  couldn't  expect  an 
angel  to  call  you  Jack  when  you  were  dead. 

"George  Zacharias !"  said  the  awful  voice  again.  I  didn't  know 
what  else  to  do,  I  was  so  frightened,  so  I  just  hollered  out,  "Here !" 
as  I  do  at  school. 

"Timothy!"  came  the  voice  once  more. 

Now  Jill  had  a  bright  idea.  Up  he  shouted,  "Absent!"  at  the 
top  of  his  lungs. 

"George!  Jack!  Jill!  where  are  you?  Are  you  killed f  0, 
wait  a  minute  and  I'll  bring  a  light!" 

This  didn't  sound  so  much  like  Judgment  Day  as  it  did  like 


HOW   TO  BE  INTERESTING  69 

Aunt  John.  I  began  to  feel  better.  So  did  Jill.  I  sat  up.  So  did 
he.  It  wasn't  a  minute  till  the  light  came  into  sight  and  something 
that  looked  Uke  the  cellar  door,  the  cellar  stairs,  and  Aunt  John's 
spotted  wrapper,  and  Miss  Togy  in  a  night-gown,  away  behind,  as 
white  as  a  ghost.  Aunt  John  held  the  Ught  above  her  head  and 
looked  down.  I  don't  believe  I  shall  ever  see  an  angel  that  will 
make  me  feel  any  better  to  look  at  than  Aunt  John  did  that  night. 

"0  you  blessed  boys!"  said  Aunt  John,  —  she  was  laughing 
and  crying  together.  "To  think  that  you  should  have  fallen 
through  the  old  chimney  to  the  cellar  floor  and  be  sitting  there  alive 
in  such  a  funny  heap  as  that ! " 

That  was  just  what  we  had  done.  The  old  flooring  —  not  very 
secure  —  had  given  way  in  the  storm ;  and  we'd  gone  down  through 
two  stories,  where  the  chimney  ought  to  have  been,  jam !  into  the 
cellar  on  the  coal  heap,  and  all  as  good  as  ever  excepting  the  bed- 
stead ! 

PRACTICE 

(On  stories  in  Lesson  Six  and  Lesson  Seven) 

1.  Make  a  list  of  the  unfamiliar  words  in  one  of  the  foregoing  sto- 

ries and  look  them  up  in  the  dictionary. 

2.  Write  a  letter  from  Frau  Hildesmuller  to  her  daughter  Lena. 

Invent  the  details. 

3.  Imagine  that  Mr.  Wynne,  instead  of  calhng  at  David  Dove's 

school,  had  written  him  a  letter.     Reproduce  the  letter. 

4.  Jack  writes  a  letter  to  a  friend  about  his  visit  to  Aunt  John's 

and  the  Day  of  Judgment.     Reproduce  the  letter. 

5.  Write  a  letter  to  the  author  of  one  of  the  above  stories,  telling 

him  why  you  Uke  it. 

6.  Which  of  the  characters  portrayed  in  the  stories  you  read  do 

you  like  best?     Give  your  reasons. 

7.  Show  that  the  events  in  the  stories  you  read  follow  one  an- 

other naturally ;   show  that  each  event  grows  out  of  a  pre- 
ceding one. 

8.  Imagine  David  Dove  in  Jack  and  Jill's  place  at  Aunt  John's. 

Tell  just  how  you  think  he  would  have  behaved. 


70  GOOD  ENGLISH 

9.    Tell  one  of  the  above  first-person  stories  in  the  third  person. 
Is  anything  lost  ?    Anything  gained  by  the  change  ?     Explain. 

10.    Tell  the  story  of  The  Chaparral  Prince  in  the  first  person,  as 
Lena  told  it  in  after  years  to  her  children. 

LESSON  EIGHT 
Planning  a  Story 

Remember  again  the  two  elements  that  make  for  interest 
in  composition  —  good  writing  and  something  to  say. 
Under  good  writing,  in  the  lessons  on  letters,  we  were  chiefly 
concerned  with  forms,  the  customs  that  good  letter  writers 
follow  in  order  to  make  their  letters  easy  to  read  and  to 
answer.  In  story  telling,  there  are  not  so  many  customs 
to  trouble  us,  or,  rather,  the  customs  of  story  telUng  are 
those  of  all  good  writing,  and  deal  with  such  things  as  spell- 
ing, punctuation,  and  capitalization.  But  story  telling 
offers  an  excellent  opportunity  to  begin  the  consideration 
of  one  of  the  chief  rules  for  all  good  writing  —  the  careful 
planning  of  all  you  propose  to  say. 

Whenever  you  speak,  whenever  you  write,  there  are  two 
steps  to  take  —  first  the  preparation,  second  the  actual 
speaking  or  the  writing  out.  Planning  is  just  getting  the 
results  of  your  preparation  in  clear  and  visible  form. 

Everything  that  is  worth  while  doing  must  be  thoroughly 
planned.  You  can  see  evidence  of  this  truth  all  about  you, 
not  only  in  the  achievements  of  men  but  also  in  the  workings 
of  nature.  Every  bolt  and  screw  in  a  large  building  is  ac- 
counted for  in  the  plans  for  that  building  before  human 
hand  is  permitted  to  touch  the  material  out  of  which  it  is 
made.  Nature  observes  the  strictest  regularity  of  plan  in 
the  succession  of  days  and  nights,  of  months  and  years,  of 
seasons  and  centuries. 


HOW   TO  BE  INTERESTING  71 

In  writing  and  speaking  you  must  know  not  only  just 
what  you  are  going  to  say  but  just  how  you  are  going  to  say 
it  as  well.  And  you  must  learn  to  plan  so  easily  and  so 
naturally,  that,  as  soon  as  you  are  given  a  task  to  do,  you 
will,  as  you  prepare,  almost  unconsciously  hit  upon  a  method 
for  the  performance  of  that  task. 

Here  is  a  little  plan  for  the  story  on  page  54.  Just 
below  it  is  a  plan  for  the  story  on  page  56.  Study  these 
two  plans  in  connection  with  the  stories  from  which  they 
are  taken. 

To  THE  Death 

1.  Spitz  brings  down  the  rabbit 

a.  A  contest  with  Buck 

2.  Buck  attacks  Spitz 

a.  A  close  match 

b.  A  fight  to  the  death 

3.  Spitz  gains  in  the  struggle 

a.  The  waiting  wolfish  circles 

b.  Spitz's  method  of  rushing 

4.  Buck  fights  by  head  as  well  as  by  instinct 

a.  Sweeps  low  and  in 

b.  Breaks  Spitz's  left  foreleg 

c.  Breaks  Spitz's  right  foreleg 

5.  Spitz  is  done  for 

a.  A  game  loser 

b.  The  inclosing  circle 

c.  Spitz's  disappearance 

6.  Buck  stands  proudly  victorious 

The  Parable  of  the  Talents 

Introduction 

1.  The  master 

2.  The  three  servants 

3.  The  three  gifts 


72  GOOD  ENGLISH 

Discussion 

1.  The  report  of  the  first  servant 

a.  "I  have  gained  other  five  talents  " 

2.  The  report  of  the  second  servant 

a.  "  I  have  gained  other  two  talents  " 

3.  The  report  of  the  third  servant 

a.  "I  hid  thy  talent  in  the  earth  " 
Conclusion 

1.  The  master's  reproof 

2.  The  punishment 

3.  The  lesson 

In  planning  a  story,  you  may  enumerate  the  principal 
events  in  the  order  in  which  they  occur.  This  is  called  the 
time  or  chronological  order.  But  it  is  often  better  to  reserve 
the  most  interesting  happening  for  a  place  near  the  end. 
It  is  sometimes  necessary,  also,  at  the  outset  to  explain  the 
situation  or  to  describe  the  scene  of  the  story  or  to  discuss 
certain  of  the  important  characters.  The  following  general 
plan  will  be  found  useful  in  preparing  to  write  out  stories :  — 

1.  Situation 

a.  Time 

b.  Place 

c.  Characters 

2.  Happenings 

The  important  events,  with  the  most  interesting  last 

3.  Result 

What  follows  as  the  result  of  the  event  of  greatest  interest 

Sometimes,  however,  a  story  starts  in  the  middle  of  things. 
Such  is  the  case  with  The  Chaparral  Prince  on  page  32. 
The  story  opens  with  Lena  in  the  midst  of  a  sorry  situation. 
Thence,  by  degrees,  it  is  unfolded,  until  the  reader  is  taken 
back  to  the  beginning  of  Lena's  troubles  and  Lena's  hopes. 
This  plan  has  the  advantage  of  gripping  the  interest  of  the 


HOW  TO  BE  INTERESTING  73 

reader  at  once.     It  is  the  method  of  The  Odyssey,  of  Paradise 
Lost,  and  many  of  the  great  stories  of  the  world. 

You  may  make  your  stories  more  vivid  and  real  by  telling 
them  in  the  first  person.  This  sometimes  presents  diffi- 
culties, especially  when  the  narrator  has  to  be  in  one  place 
and  the  events  of  the  story  occur  elsewhere.  But  the  diffi- 
culty may  be  met  by  various  devices,  such  as  a  letter  or  a 
diary  in  which  occurrences  are  reported  that  took  place  in 
the  story  teller's  absence.  You  will  find  it  an  interesting 
exercise  to  change  a  story  from  one  person  to  another,  or 
to  tell  a  story  by  means  of  the  conversation  of  many  differ- 
ent characters. 

PRACTICE 

1.  Why  is  a  plan  necessary  to  the  telling  of  a  story? 

2.  How  should  one  go  about  planning  a  story? 

3.  Make  a  plan  for  The  Day  of  Judgment  (page  64),  for  Hugh's 

School  Days  (page  57),  for  Buddy  and  Waffles  (page  43). 

4.  Explain  how  these  plans  differ  from  those  given  on  pages  176, 

177,  203. 

5.  Make  a  plan  and  write  a  short  story  on  one  of  the  following 

topics :  — 
Why  Bill  left  school.  The  biography  of  a  school  boy. 

The  fish  that  wouldn't  bite.        Late  —  and  then !  — . 
When  the  canoe  upset.  Grandma's  Wedge  wood  platter. 

A  day  I  shall  never  forget.  Finding  the  treasure. 

6.  Tell  the  story  of  To  the  Death  according  to  Buck ;    that  is,  use 

the  first  person  throughout  and  let  Buck  do  the  telling. 

7.  Imagine  that  Aunt  John  was  observing  Jack  and  Jill  during 

their  frightful  night.     Tell  the  story  of  The  Day  of  Judgment 
in  her  words. 

8.  Plan  and  write  a  story  in  which  you  show  the  superior  character 

of  some  animal  by  what  he  does.     The  following  topics  may 

be  suggestive :  — 
Toby,  the  truck  horse.     Tabby,  the  patient  heroine. 
Rex,  the  rescuer.  King,  the  trusty  knight  of  the  harness. 


74  GOOD  ENGLISH 

9.   Plan  and  write  a  story  suggested  by  one  of  the  following :  — 
Pluck  Slacker  Downed  Stuck 

Nerve  Game  Cornered  Sand 

10.  Plan  and  write  a  story  suggested  by  one  of  the  following :  — 

My  first  real  work.  My  last  penny. 

My  first  failure.  My  first  party. 

My  best  lesson.  My  first  whipping. 

My  pleasantest  surprise.  My  oldest  trick. 

11.  Tell  the  story  of  what  happened  to  Hugh  Wynne  at  school,  by 

means  of  conversation  between  Hugh's  father  and  mother. 

12.  Tell  the  story  of  some  school  contest  by  means  of  conversation 

(1)  Among  the  teachers,  or 

(2)  Among  the  pupils,  or 

(3)  Among  the  parents  of  the  pupils  who  took  part. 

LESSON   NINE 

Stories  in  Poetry  Told  in  the  Third  Person 

Read  some  or  all  of  the  poems  that  follow.  Which  do  you 
like  best?  Draw  up  a  brief  plan  for  it.  Look  up  the  mean- 
ings of  any  unfamiliar  words. 

The  Old  Man  and  Jim^ 

(By  James  Whitcomb  Riley) 

Old  man  never  had  much  to  say  — 

'Ceptin'  to  Jim,  — 
And  Jim  was  the  wildest  boy  he  had, 

And  the  old  man  jes'  wrapped  up  in  him ! 
Never  heerd  him  speak  but  once 
Er  twice  in  my  life,  —  and  first  time  was 
When  the  army  broke  out,  and  Jim  he  went, 

^  From  the  Biographical  Edition  of  the  Complete  Works  of  James  Whit- 
comb Riley,  copyright  1913.  Used  by  special  permission  of  the  publishers. 
The  Bobbs-Merrill  Company. 


HOW  TO  BE  INTERESTING  75 

The  old  man  backin'  him  fer  three  months ; 
And  all  'at  I  heerd  the  old  man  say 
Was,  jes'  as  we  turned  to  start  away,  — 

"  Well,  good-by,  Jim : 

Take  keer  of  yourse'f !" 

Teared  like  he  was  more  satisfied 

Jes'  lookin'  at  Jim 
And  likin'  him  all  to  hisse'f-like,  see  ? 

'Cause  he  was  jes'  wrapped  up  in  him ! 
And  over  and  over  I  mind  the  day 
The  old  man  come  and  stood  round  in  the  way 
While  we  was  drillin',  a-watchin'  Jim ; 
And  down  at  the  deepot  a-heerin'  him  say,  — 

"Well,  good-by,  Jim : 

Take  keer  of  yourse'f !" 

Never  was  nothin'  about  the  farm 

Disting'ished  Jim ; 
Neighbors  all  ust  to  wonder  why 

The  old  man  'peared  wrapped  up  in  him : 
But  when  Cap.  Biggler,  he  writ  back 
'At  Jim  was  the  bravest  boy  we  had 
In  the  whole  dern  rigiment,  white  er  black, 
And  his  fightin'  good  as  his  farmin'  bad,  — 
'At  he  had  led,  with  a  bullet  clean 
Bored  through  his  thigh,  and  carried  the  flag 
Through  the  bloodiest  battle  you  ever  seen,  — 
The  old  man  wound  up  a  letter  to  him 
'At  Cap.  read  to  us,  'at  said,  —  "  Tell  Jim 

Good-by ; 

And  take  keer  of  hisse'f !" 

Jim  come  home  jes'  long  enough 

To  take  the  whim 
'At  he'd  like  to  go  back  in  the  calvery  — 

And  the  old  man  jes'  wrapped  up  in  him ! 


76  GOOD  ENGLISH 

Jim  'lowed  'at  he'd  had  sich  luck  afore, 
Guessed  he'd  tackle  her  three  years  more. 
And  the  old  man  give  him  a  colt  he'd  raised, 
And  foUered  him  over  to  Camp  Ben  Wade, 
And  laid  around  fer  a  week  er  so, 
Watchin'  Jim  on  dress-parade ; 
'Tel  finally  he  rid  away. 
And  last  he  heerd  was  the  old  man  say,  — 

"Well,  good-by,  Jim : 

Take  keer  of  yourse'f !" 

Tuk  the  papers,  the  old  man  did, 

A-watchin'  fer  Jim, 
Fully  believin'  he'd  make  his  mark 

Some  way  —  jes'  wrapped  up  in  him  I 
And  many  a  time  the  word  'ud  come 
'At  stirred  him  up  like  a  tap  of  a  drum  : 
At  Petersburg,  fer  instunce,  where 
Jim  rid  right  into  their  cannons  there. 
And  tuk  'em,  and  p'inted  'em  t'other  way, 
And  socked  it  home  to  the  boys  in  gray, 
As  they  skooted  fer  timber,  and  on  and  on  — 
Jim  a  lieutenant,  —  and  one  arm  gone,  — 
And  the  old  man's  words  in  his  mind  all  day,  - 

"Well,  good-by,  Jim : 

Take  keer  of  yourse'f!" 

Think  of  a  private,  now,  perhaps, 

We'll  say  like  Jim, 
'At's  clum  clean  up  to  the  shoulder-straps  — 

And  the  old  man  jes'  wrapped  up  in  liim ! 
Think  of  him  —  with  the  war  plum'  through 
And  the  glorious  old  Red-White-and-Blue 
A-laughin'  the  news  down  over  Jim, 
And  the  old  man,  bendin'  over  him  — 
The  surgeon  turnin'  away  with  tears 


HOW  TO  BE  INTERESTING  77 

'At  hadn't  leaked  fer  years  and  years, 
As  the  hand  of  the  dyin'  boy  clung  to 
His  Father's,  the  old  voice  in  his  ears,  — 

"Well,  good-by,  Jim : 

Take  keer  of  yourse'f !" 

First  Appearance  at  the  Odeon 
(By  James  T.  Fields) 

"  I  am  Nicholas  Tacchinardi,  —  hunchbacked,  look  you,  and  a 

fright ; 
Caliban  himself  might  never  interpose  so  foul  a  sight. 
Granted ;  but  I  come  not,  masters,  to  exhibit  form  or  size. 
Gaze  not  on  my  Umbs,  good  people ;  lend  your  ears  and  not  your 

eyes. 
I'm  a  singer,  not  a  dancer,  —  spare  me  for  a  while  your  din ; 
Let  me  try  my  voice  tonight  here,  —  keep  your  jests  till  I  begin. 
Have  the  kindness  but  to  hsten,  —  this  is  all  I  dare  to  ask. 
See,  I  stand  beside  the  foothghts,  waiting  to  begin  my  task. 
If  I  fail  to  please  you,  curse  me,  —  not  before  my  voice  you  hear, 
Thrust  me  not  from  the  Odeon.     Hearken,  and  I've  naught  to  fear." 

Then  the  crowd  in  pit  and  boxes  jeered  the  dwarf,  and  mocked  his 
shape ; 

Called  him  "monster,"  "thing  abhorrent,"  crying  "off,  presump- 
tuous ape ! 

Off,  unsightly,  baleful  creature !  off,  and  quit  the  insulted  stage ! 

Move  aside,  repulsive  figure,  or  deplore  our  gathering  rage." 

Bowing  low,  pale  Tacchinardi,  long  accustomed  to  such  threats, 
Burst  into  a  grand  bravura,  showering  notes  like  diamond  jets,  j— 
Sang  until  the  ringing  plaudits  through  the  wide  Odeon  rang,  — 
Sang  as  never  soaring  tenor  ere  behind  those  foothghts  sang ; 
And  the  hunchback,  ever  after,  like  a  god  was  hailed  with  cries,  — 
"Eling  of  minstrels,  live  forever!    Shame  on  fools  who  have  but 
eyes!" 


78  GOOD  ENGLISH 

The  Ballad  of  the  Oysterman 
(By  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes) 

It  was  a  tall  young  oysterman  lived  by  the  river-side, 
His  shop  was  just  upon  the  bank,  his  boat  was  on  the  tide; 
The  daughter  of  a  fisherman,  that  was  so  straight  and  slim, 
Lived  over  on  the  other  bank,  right  opposite  to  him. 

It  was  the  pensive  oysterman  that  saw  a  lovely  maid. 
Upon  the  moonlight  evening,  a  sitting  in  the  shade ; 
He  saw  her  wave  her  handkerchief,  as  much  as  if  to  say, 
"I'm  wide  awake,  young  oysterman,  and  all  the  folks  away." 

Then  up  arose  the  oysterman,  and  to  himself  said  he, 

"  I  guess  I'll  leave  the  skiff  at  home,  for  fear  that  folks  should  see ; 

I  read  it  in  the  story  book,  that,  for  to  kiss  his  dear, 

Leander  swam  the  Hellespont,  —  and  I  will  swim  this  here." 

And  he  has  leaped  into  the  waves,  and  crossed  the  shining  stream, 
And  he  has  clambered  up  the  bank,  all  in  the  moonlight  gleam ; 
O  there  were  kisses  sweet  as  dew,  and  words  as  soft  as  rain,  — 
But  they  have  heard  her  father's  step,  and  in  he  leaps  again ! 

Out   spoke   the   ancient   fisherman,  —  "0   what   was   that,   my 

daughter?" 
'"Twas  nothing  but  a  pebble,  sir,  I  threw  into  the  water;" 
"And  what  is  that,  pray  tell  me,  love,  that  paddles  off  so  fast?" 
"It's  nothing  but  a  porpoise,  sir,  that's  been  a  swimming  past.'* 

Out  spoke  the  ancient  fisherman,  —  "Now  bring  me  my  harpoon ! 
I'll  get  into  my  fishing-boat,  and  fix  the  fellow  soon ; " 
Down  fell  that  pretty  innocent,  as  falls  a  snow-white  lamb, 
Hor  hair  drooped  round  her  pallid  cheeks,  like  sea- weed  on  a  clam. 

Alas  for  those  two  loving  ones !  she  waked  not  from  her  s wound. 
And  he  was  taken  with  the  cramp,  and  in  the  waves  was  drowned ; 
But  Fate  has  metamorphosed  them,  in  pity  of  their  woe. 
And  now  they  keep  an  oyster-shop  for  mermaids  down  below. 


HOW  TO  BE  INTERESTING  79 

The  Highwayman^ 

(By  Alfred  Noyes) 

Part  One 


The  wind  was  a  torrent  of  darkness  among  the  gusty  trees, 
The  moon  was  a  ghostly  galleon  tossed  upon  cloudy  seas, 
The  road  was  a  ribbon  of  moonlight  over  the  purple  moor, 
And. the  highwayman  came  riding  — 

Riding  —  riding  — 
The  highwayman  came  riding,  up  to  the  old  inn  door. 


He'd  a  French  cocked  hat  on  his  forehead,  a  bunch  of  lace  at  his  chin, 
A  coat  of  the  claret  velvet,  and  breeches  of  brown  doeskin ; 
They  fitted  with  never  a  wrinkle  :  his  boots  were  up  to  the  thigh ! 
And  he  rode  with  a  jeweled  twinkle. 

His  pistol  butts  a-twinkle. 
His  rapier  hilt  a-twinkle,  under  the  jeweled  sky. 

Ill 

Over  the  cobbles  he  clattered  and  clashed  in  the  dark  inn  yard, 
And  he  tapped  with  his  whip  on  the  shutters,  but  all  was  locked  and 

barred ; 
He  whistled  a  tune  to  the  window,  and  who  should  be  waiting 

there 
But  the  landlord's  black-eyed  daughter, 

Bess,  the  landlord's  daughter. 
Plaiting  a  dark  red  love  knot  into  her  long  black  hair. 

IV 

And  dark  in  the  dark  old  inn  yard  a  stable-wicket  creaked 
Where  Tim  the  ostler  listened ;  his  face  was  white  and  peaked ; 
His  eyes  were  hollows  of  madness,  his  hair  like  moldy  hay, 

*  Used  by  permission  of  The  Macmillan  Company. 


80  GOOD  ENGLISH 

But  he  loved  the  landlord's  daughter, 
The  landlord's  red-lipped  daughter, 
Dumb  as  a  dog  he  listened,  and  he  heard  the  robber  say  — 


"One  kiss,  my  bonny  sweetheart,  I'm  after  a  prize  tonight, 
But  I  shall  be  back  with  the  yellow  gold  before  the  morning  light ; 
Yet,  if  they  press  me  sharply,  and  harry  me  through  the  day. 
Then  look  for  me  by  moonhght. 

Watch  for  me  by  moonhght, 
I'll  come  to  thee  by  moonhght,  though  hell  should  bar  the  way." 

VI 

He  rose  upright  in  the  stirrups ;  he  scarce  could  reach  her  hand, 
But  she  loosened  her  hair  i'  the  casement !    His  face  burned  Uke  a 

brand 
As  the  black  cascade  of  perfume  came  tumbHng  over  his  breast ; 
And  he  kissed  its  waves  in  the  moonhght, 

(Oh,  sweet  black  waves  in  the  moonhght !) 
Then  he  tugged  at  his  rein  in  the  moonhght,  and  galloped  away  to 

the  West. 

Part  Two 


He  did  not  come  in  the  dawning ;  he  did  not  come  at  noon ; 
And  out  o'  the  tawny  sunset,  before  the  rise  o'  the  moon, 
Wlien  the  road  was  a  gypsy's  ribbon,  looping  the  purple  moor, 
A  redcoat  troop  came  marching  — 

Marching  —  Marching  — 
King  George's  men  came  marching,  up  to  the  old  inn  door. 

n 

They  said  no  word  to  the  landlord,  they  drank  his  ale  instead. 
But  they  gagged  his  daughter  and  bound  her  to  the  foot  of  her 
narrow  bed ; 


HOW  TO  BE  INTERESTING  81 

Two  of  them  knelt  at  her  casement,  with  muskets  at  their  side ! 
There  was  death  at  every  window ; 

And  hell  at  one  dark  window ; 
For  Bess  could  see,  through  her  casement,  the  road  that  he  would 
ride. 

in 

They  had  tied  her  up  to  attention,  with  many  a  sniggering  jest ; 
They  had  boimd  a  musket  beside  her,  with  the  barrel  beneath  her 

breast ! 
"Now  keep  good  watch !"  and  they  kissed  her. 
She  heard  the  dead  man  say  * 
Look  for  me  by  moonlight; 

Watch  for  me  by  moonlight; 
I'll  come  to  thee  by  moonlight,  though  hell  should  bar  the  way ! 


IV 

She  twisted  her  hands  behind  her ;  but  all  the  knots  held  good ! 
She  writhed  her  hands  till  her  fingers  were  wet  with  sweat  or  blood ! 
They  stretched  and  strained  in  the  darkness,  and  the  hours  crawled 

by  like  years, 
Till,  now,  on  the  stroke  of  midnight. 

Cold  on  the  stroke  of  midnight. 
The  tip  of  one  finger  touched  it !    The  trigger  at  least  was  hers ! 


The  tip  of  one  finger  touched  it ;  she  strove  no  more  for  the  rest ! 
Up,  she  stood  up  to  attention,  with  the  barrel  beneath  her  breast, 
She  would  not  risk  their  hearing ;  she  would  not  strive  again ; 
For  the  road  lay  bare  in  the  moonlight ; 

Blank  and  bare  in  the  moonhght ; 
And  the  blood  of  her  veins  in  the  moonlight  throbbed  to  her  love's 
refrain. 

^  She  already  thought  of  her  lover  as  dead. 


82  GOOD  ENGLISH 


VI 

Tlot-tlot;  tlot-tlot!    Had  they  heard  it?    The  horse-hoofs  ringing 

clear ; 
TloHlotf  tlot-tlot,  in  the  distance!    Were  they  deaf  that  they  did 

not  hear  ? 
Down  the  ribbon  of  moonlight,  over  the  brow  of  the  hill, 
The  highwayman  came  riding, 

Riding,  —  riding ! 
The  redcoats  looked  to  their  priming !    She  stood  up,  straight  and 

still! 

VII 

Tlot-tlot,  in  the  frosty  silence !     Tlot-tlot,  in  the  echoing  night ! 
Nearer  he  came  and  nearer !    Her  face  was  like  a  hght ! 
Her  eyes  grew  wide  for  a  moment ;  she  drew  one  last  deep  breath, 
Then  her  finger  moved  in  the  moonUght, 

Her  musket  shattered  the  moonhght, 
Shattered  her  breast  in  the  moonlight  and  warned  him  —  with  her 
death. 

vin 

He  turned ;  he  spurred  to  the  Westward ;   he  did  not  know  who 

stood 
Bowed,  with  her  head  o'er  the  musket,  drenched  with  her  own  red 

blood ! 
Not  till  the  dawn  he  heard  it,  and  slowly  blanched  to  hear 
How  Bess,  the  landlord's  daughter, 

The  landlord's  black-eyed  daughter, 
Had  watched  for  her  love  in  the  moonlight,  and  died  in  the  darkness 

there. 

DC 

Back,  he  spurred  like  a  madman,  shrieking  a  curse  to  the  sky, 
With  the  white  road  smoking  behind  him,  and  his  rapier  brandished 

high! 
Blood-red  were  his  spurs  i'  the  golden  noon;    wine-red  was  his 

velvet  coat ; 


HOW   TO  BE  INTERESTING  83 

When  they  shot  him  down  on  the  highway, 

Down  like  a  dog  on  the  highway, 
And  he  lay  in  his  blood  on  the  highway,  with  the  bunch  of  lace  at 
his  throat. 


And  still  of  a  winter's  night,  they  say,  when  the  wind  is  in  the  trees, 
When  the  moon  is  a  ghostly  galleon  tossed  upon  cloudy  seas, 
When  the  road  is  a  ribbon  of  moonlight  over  the  purple  moor, 
A  highwayman  comes  riding  — 

Riding  —  riding  — 
A  highwayman  comes  riding,  up  to  the  old  inn  door. 

XI 

Over  the  cobbles  he  clatters  and  clangs  in  the  dark  inn  yard; 
And  he  taps  with  his  whip  on  the  shutters,  but  all  is  locked  and  barred; 
He  whistles  a  tune  to  the  window,  and  who  should  be  waiting  there 
But  the  landlord's  black-eyed  daughter, 

Bess,  the  landlord's  daughter, 
Plaiting  a  dark  red  love  knot  into  her  long  black  hair. 

LESSON   TEN 

Stories  in  Poetry  Told  in  the  First  Person 

Which  of  the  following  poems  do  you  like  the  better? 
Draw  up  a  brief  plan  for  The  Yarn  of  the  Nancy  Bell.  Look 
up  all  unfamiliar  words  in  these  poems  :  — 

Bird  Thoughts 

I  lived  first. in  a  little  house,  and  lived  there  very  well, 
I  thought  the  world  was  small  and  round,  and  made  of  pale  blue 
shell. 

I  lived  next  in  a  little  nest,  nor  needed  any  other, 

I  thought  the  world  was  made  of  straw,  and  brooded  to  my  mother. 


84  GOOD  ENGLISH 

One  day  I  fluttered  from  the  nest  to  see  what  I  could  find, 

I  said :  ''The  world  is  made  of  leaves ;  I  have  been  very  blind." 

At  length  I  flew  beyond  the  tree,  quite  fit  for  grown-up  labors, 
I  don't  know  how  the  world  is  made,  and  neither  do  my  neighbors ! 


The  Yarn  of  the  "Nancy  Bell" 
(By  W.  S.  Gilbert) 

'Twas  on  the  shores  that  round  our  coast 

From  Deal  to  Ramsgate  span, 
That  I  found  alone,  on  a  piece  of  stone, 

An  elderly  naval  man. 

His  hair  was  weedy,  his  beard  was  long, 

And  weedy  and  long  was  he ; 
And  I  heard  this  wight  on  the  shore  recite, 

In  a  singular  minor  key : 

"Oh,  I  am  a  cook  and  a  captain  bold, 

And  the  mate  of  the  Nancy  brig. 
And  a  bo'sun  tight,  and  a  midshipmite, 

And  the  crew  of  the  captain's  gig." 

And  he  shook  his  fists  and  he  tore  his  hair, 

Till  I  really  felt  afraid. 
For  I  couldn't  help  thinking  the  man  had  been  drinking, 

And  so  I  simply  said  : 

"Oh,  elderly  man,  it's  little  I  know 

Of  the  duties  of  men  of  the  sea. 
And  I'll  eat  my  hand  if  I  understand 

However  you  can  be 

"At  once  a  cook,  and  a  captain  bold, 

And  the  mate  of  the  Nancy  brig, 
And  a  bo'sun  tight,  and  a  midshipmite, 

And  the  crew  of  the  captain's  gig." 


HOW   TO  BE  INTERESTING  85 

Then  he  gave  a  hitch  to  his  trousers,  which 

Is  a  trick  all  seamen  larn, 
And  having  got  rid  of  a  thumping  quid, 

He  spun  this  painful  yarn : 

"'Twas  in  the  good  ship  Nancy  Bell 

That  we  sailed  to  the  Indian  Sea, 
And  there  on  a  reef  we  come  to  grief, 

Which  has  often  occurred  to  me. 

"And  pretty  nigh  all  o'  the  crew  was  drowned 

(There  was  seventy-seven  o'  soul), 
And  only  ten  of  the  Nancy^s  men 

Said  '  Here ! '  to  the  muster-roll. 

"There  was  me,  and  the  cook,  and  the  captain  bold, 

And  the  mate  of  the  Nancy  brig, 
And  the  bo'sun  tight,  and  a  midshipmite. 

And  the  crew  of  the  captain's  gig. 

"For  a  month  we'd  neither  wittles  nor  drink, 

Till  a-hungry  we  did  feel, 
So  we  drawed  a  lot,  and,  accordin'  shot 

The  captain  for  our  meal. 

"The  next  lot  fell  to  the  Nancy's  mate, 

And  a  delicate  dish  he  made ; 
Then  our  appetite  with  the  midshipmite 

We  seven  survivors  stayed. 

"And  then  we  murdered  the  bo'sun  tight. 

And  he  much  resembled  pig ; 
'Then  we  wittled  free,  did  the  cook  and  me, 

On  the  crew  of  the  captain's  gig. 

"Then  only  the  cook  and  me  was  left, 

And  the  deUcate  question,  '  Which 
Of  us  two  goes  to  the  kettle  ? '  arose. 

And  we  argued  it  out  as  sich. 


86  GOOD  ENGLISH 

"  For  I  loved  that  cook  as  a  brother,  I  did, 

And  the  cook  he  worshipped  me ; 
But  we'd  both  be  blowed  if  we'd  either  be  stowed 

In  the  other  chap's  hold,  you  see. 

'"I'll  be  eat  if  you  dines  off  me,'  says  Tom. 

'Yes,  that,'  says  I,  'you'll  be,  — 
I'm  boiled  if  I  die,  my  friend,'  quoth  I ; 

And  'Exactly  so,'  quoth  he. 

"  Says  he :  '  Dear  James,  to  murder  me 

Were  a  fooUsh  thing  to  do. 
For  don't  you  see  that  you  can't  cook  me. 

While  I  can  —  and  will  —  cook  you ! ' 

"  So  he  boils  the  water,  and  takes  the  salt 

And  the  pepper  in  portions  true 
(Which  he  never  forgot),  and  some  chopped  shalot, 

And  some  sage  and  parsley  too. 

"'Come  here,'  says  he,  with  a  proper  pride, 

Which  his  smiling  features  tell, 
*  'Twill  soothing  be  if  I  let  you  see 

How  extremely  nice  you'll  smell.' 

"And  he  stirred  it  round  and  round  and  roimd, 
And  he  sniffed  at  the  foaming  froth ; 

When  I  ups  with  his  heels,  and  smothers  his  squeals 
In  the  scum  of  the  boiling  broth. 

"And  I  eat  that  cook  in  a  week  or  less, 

And  —  as  I  eating  be 
The  last  of  his  chops,  why,  I  almost  drops, 

For  a  wessel  in  sight  I  see. 

******* 
"And  I  never  larf,  and  I  never  smile, 

And  I  never  lark  nor  play ; 
But  sit  and  croak,  and  a  single  joke 

I  have  —  which  is  to  say : 


HOW   TO  BE  INTERESTING  87 

"  Oh,  I  am  a  cook  and  a  captain  bold 

And  the  mate  of  the  Nancy  brig, 
And  a  bo'sun  tight,  and  a  midshipmite, 

And  the  crew  of  the  captain's  gig !" 

PRACTICE 

(On  poems  in  Lesson  Nine  and  Lesson  Ten) 

1.  In  which  of  the  above  poems  are  the  most  unusual  events  set 

forth  ?     Explain. 

2.  Which  of  these  poems  portrays  the  most  lovable  human  char- 

acter?    Tell  something  about  this  character. 

3.  Reproduce  Captain  Biggler's  letter   (mentioned  in  the  second 

stanza  on  page  75) .    Follow  good  letter  form  and  add  to  the 
contents  of  the  letter  from  your  imagination. 

4.  Which  of  the  above  poems  is  most  interesting  because   of  its 

characters  ?     Which  is   the   most   interesting  because  of  its 
events?    Which  has  the  most  interesting  scene  or  setting? 

5.  Tell  the  story  of  The  Ballad  of  the  Oysterman  or  of  The  Highway- 

man or  of  Bird  Thoughts,  in  a  letter  to  a  friend. 


LESSON  ELEVEN 
Interest  in  Story  Telling 

A  well-planned  story  will  always  be  interesting,  if  its 
subject  matter  is  interesting.  The  best-planned  story 
about  the  tiresome  events  of  a  dull  hour  waiting  for  a  train 
in  a  country  station  would  probably  not  awake  attention. 
On  the  other  hand,  a  story  badly  told  of  the  wild  ride  of  a 
plunging,  driverless  automobile  down  the  main  street  of  a 
village  would  be  interesting,  —  though  it  would  be  much 
more  interesting  if  told  well. 

What  makes  interesting  subject  matter  for  stories?  The 
answer  is  the  same  as  to  the  questions,  "What  interests  you 


88  GOOD  ENGLISH 

in  your  life?  What  arouses  your  attention?  "  First  of  all, 
perhaps,  events  a  little  out  of  the  ordinary,  events  that 
stir  your  imagination  because  you  enjoy  them;  or  that 
leave  a  vivid  impression  because,  even  if  unpleasant,  they 
are  so  different  from  the  ordinary  run  of  experience.  No 
one  is,  or  should  be,  content  with  the  dull  routine  of  doing 
just  the  same  things  day  after  day.  It  is  human  nature  to 
follow  one's  impulses  occasionally  and  seek  for  something 
new;  or  if  novelty  comes  of  itself,  to  enjoy  it.  Men  and 
women  who  have  been  condemned  by  hard  circumstances 
to  labor  for  many  years  at  monotonous  tasks,  with  few 
holidays  and  no  break  in  routine,  become  cramped  in  mind, 
and  incapable  of  enjoyment  when  the  opportunity  arrives. 

Now,  many  stories  deal  with  events  that  are  different 
from  everyday  experience,  and  it  is  this  that  makes  them 
so  interesting.  Indeed,  stories  have  comforted  the  human 
race  in  the  midst  of  monotonous  toil  since  the  beginning 
of  recorded  time.  And  it  is  precisely  the  unusual  events 
that  you  yourself  have  seen,  or  imagined,  which  will  make 
interesting  subject  matter  for  stories.  Plan  the  telling  of 
these  events  and  they  will  be  more  interesting  still. 

But  events  do  not  constitute  the  only  interesting  elements 
in  a  story.  Some  one  must  act  and  think  and  speak  in  the 
events  of  which  you  are  going  to  tell.  There  must  be,  as 
the  old  books  put  it,  a  "hero"  or  a  ''heroine" ;  and  he  or 
she  must  usually  have  companions.  We  are  interested 
ordinarily  in  the  people  in  our  stories  quite  as  much  as  in 
the  events ;  sometimes  we  are  interested  more.  And  we 
are  especially  interested  in  what  we  call  their  "character" 
or  their  "personality." 

Sometimes  this  character  is  humorous  (events,  of  course, 
can  be  humorous,  too).  Sometimes  it  is  pathetic;  some- 
times it  is  strong;    sometimes  weak.     But  as  long  as  it 


^^^^^^^^^m 


^ }'  ^  fc  'P  >  ^  SJri^^  ''^-^  '^  % 


/ 


90  GOOD  ENGLISH 

bears  some  resemblance  (even  a  humorous  one)  to  human 
nature,  we  are  interested.  Indeed,  it  does  not  have  to  be 
human  in  order  to  be  like  human  nature.  In  The  Jungle 
Books,  Kipling  gives  the  traits  of  men  to  animals,  and  so 
does  Ernest  Seton-Thompson  in  Wild  Animals  I  Have  Known. 
In  Kipling's  .007  a  locomotive  is  the  hero ;  a  bowlder  in  the 
field,  a  house,  an  ant,  a  day,  the  moon,  can  be  given  a  char- 
acter and  made  the  hero  or  the  heroine  of  a  story. 

And  there  is  still  one  other  element  in  a  story  that  makes 
for  interest.  This  is  the  scene,  the  background,  the  "  setting  '* 
as  it  is  often  called.  Every  scene  is  interesting  if  you  study  it 
closely  and  sympathetically,  even  the  slum  backyard  with 
its  piles  of  refuse,  even  the  stretch  of  desert  with  its  monoto- 
nous sage  brush  and  sand.  However,  other  scenes  will 
probably  be  much  more  interesting  for  you  than  these.  It 
is  the  scene  that  interests  you  —  your  own  town,  the 
country  you  see  in  the  summer,  the  wild  mountains  you 
saw  from  the  train  window  —  that  should  go  into  your 
stories. 

PRACTICE 

1.  Select  the    incidents  from   an    unusually  exciting  school  day 

that  might  be  interesting  enough  to  use  in  a  story. 

2.  Look  over  the  stories  you  have  written  in  earlier  lessons  and 

decide  whether  you  have  always  selected  the  most  interesting 
of  possible  events. 

3.  Make  a  list  of  interesting  characters   you   have   known  that 

might  be  used  in  stories.     Write  a  story  about  one  of  them, 
planning  it  first. 

4.  Make  a  list  of  possible  "heroes"  for  stories,  drawn  from  the 

animal  or  the  inanimate  world.     Write  a  story  about  one  of 
them,  planning  it  first. 
6.   Study  the  picture  on  the  preceding  page.     Plan  and  write  a 
little  story  suggested  by  it. 


HOW  TO  BE  INTERESTING  91 

LESSON   TWELVE 

Interest  in  Words 

Suppose  that  what  you  have  to  say,  whether  in  a  letter 
or  a  story,  is  worth  the  saying.  Suppose  that,  if  it  is  in  a 
letter,  you  have  comphed  with  all  the  customs  of  good 
letter  writing.  Suppose  that,  if  it  is  in  a  story,  you  have 
planned  it  well,  selected  the  most  interesting  episodes, 
chosen  the  best  form  of  telling.  Suppose  that  you  have 
seen  and  felt  truly,  thought  well,  and  carefully  expressed 
what  lies  in  your  mind.  Nevertheless,  you  may  still  fail 
to  be  interesting  (or  clear  or  convincing)  unless  you  have 
found  the  right  words.  And  if  the  compositions  you  have 
written  for  the  previous  lessons  are  not  nearly  so  interesting 
as  the  subjects  seemed  to  be  when  you  chose  them,  the 
trouble  probably  lies  in  your  choice  of  words. 

A  word  is  a  name.  Call  John,  Joseph,  and  he  will  not 
answer.  Call  a  sluggish  horse  a  slow  one  and  your  reader 
will  not  get  the  truth.  The  thing,  the  thought,  the  action, 
the  color,  the  smell,  the  feeling,  —  all  in  the  world  about 
us  or  the  mind  within  us  that  can  be  named  by  words,  must 
be  exactly  named  before  we  can  write  accurately  and  well. 
Only  by  an  exact  knowledge  of  words  and  by  precision 
in  their  use  is  it  possible  to  make  speaking  and  writing 
interesting.  Words  themselves  are  interesting.  A  little 
study  of  them  reveals  in  many  cases  an  origin  and  a  history 
that  make  absorbing  reading.  And  there  is  perhaps  no 
study  that  pays  so  well  in  the  end  as  the  study  of  words. 
You  cannot  express  yourself  with  accuracy  and  fineness 
unless  you  have  a  large  vocabulary  that  is  ready  at  hand 
when  you  need  it.  The  ignorant  person  who  is  obliged  to 
depend  upon  but  few  words  for  the  expression  of  his  ideas 


92  GOOD  ENGLISH 

is  at  a  decided  loss  to  make  his  wants  known  with  any  degree 
of  nicety.  A  Milton  or  a  Shakespeare,  with  thousands  of 
words  at  his  command,  can  secure  the  finest  shades  of  mean- 
ing in  his  expression,  and  thus  insure  his  work  against  time. 
You  yourself,  as  you  add  new  words  to  your  vocabulary  in 
order  to  express  the  new  things  you  are  learning  and  think- 
ing, will  feel  your  power  over  expression  grow.  You  will 
not  only  write  better,  you  will  also  think  better. 

The  most  interesting  study  of  words  is  not  of  their  classi- 
fications, but  of  the  use  to  be  made  of  them.  There  are 
a  few  definitions  and  classifications  of  words,  however,  that 
should  be  learned  first.    Study  carefully  those  that  follow  :  — 

A  STANDARD  WORD  is  oue  that  is  used  by  the  best  speakers 
and  writers.  You  will  invariably  find  it  in  any  good  dic- 
tionary. 

A  TECHNICAL  WORD  is  One  that  applies  to  some  narrow  range 
or  field  of  activity.  Every  trade,  every  profession,  every 
pursuit,  has  a  vocabulary  peculiar  to  itself.  Piston  is  a 
technical  engineering  term;  tee  belongs  to  golf;  riveting 
to  construction  work;  parboil  to  domestic  science,  and  so 
forth. 

A  COLLOQUIAL  WORD  or  phrase  is  used  in  ordinary  conversa- 
tion, but  not,  as  a  rule,  in  formal  writing  or  speaking.  The 
folks,  All  right,  Hold  on  (in  the  sense  of  "Wait  for  me") 
are  colloquial  expressions. 

A  COINED  WORD  is  a  word  invention  made  for  the  purpose  of 
meeting  a  new  need  of  expression.  When  the  cinematograph 
came  into  general  use,  there  was  no  simple  word  at  hand  to 
name  the  pictures.  The  movies  was  coined  from  ''moving 
pictures,"  and  has  been  widely  adopted.  Marconigram  is 
another  coinage,  this  time  from  the  name  of  the  inventor 
of  wireless  telegraphy.  Coinages  are  usually  made  by  com- 
bination rather  than  by  outright  invention.    Motor  was 


HOW  TO  BE  INTERESTING  93 

originally  a  noun  only.  Since  the  gasoline  engine  has  be- 
come so  common,  it  is  used  not  only  as  a  verb,  motored^ 
motoring,  but  has  also  been  placed  in  more  than  one  com- 
bination, motor  car,  motor  boat,  etc. 

Slang  is  made  up  of  coined  and  colloquial  words  that  are 
not  in  good  usage.  It  is  often  language  in  the  making ;  it 
is  quite  as  often  language  breaking  down,  losing  its  fine 
shades  of  meaning,  and  therefore  its  expressiveness.  Do'pe, 
rooky,  get  on  the  hand  wagon  are  examples.  The  first  and 
last  are  too  vague  or  too  local  in  their  meanings  to  be  valu- 
able. The  second,  as  a  name  for  a  new  recruit,  is  really 
expressive,  and  may  survive.  Slang  is  dangerous  because 
it  tends  to  limit  the  vocabulary,  one  slang  expression  serv- 
ing for  many  meanings ;  and  because  it  is  never  generally 
understood.  New  York  slang  is  often  meaningless  to  a 
Texan. 

Synonyms  are  words  that  mean  almost  the  same  thing, 
as,  —  like  and  similar;  system  and  method;  fun  and  sport. 

Homonyms  are  words  that  are  pronounced  alike  but  have 
different  meanings,  as,  — in  and  inn;  hart  and  heart;  mantel 
and  mantle. 

Antonyms  are  words  directly  opposed  to  one  another  in 
meaning,  as,  —  short  and  long ;  praise  and  scorn ;  anxiety  and 
apathy.  Antonyms  are  frequently  formed  by  the  use  of  a 
negative  prefix,  as,  —  regular  and  irregular ;  resistance  and 
non-resistance. 

There  are  other,  less  important  classifications  of  words 
that  it  is  well,  at  least,  to  know  about.  An  obsolete  word 
is  one  that  was  once  in  good  standing  in  the  language  but 
has  passed  out  of  use,  as  favour  for  appearance.  An  archaic 
WORD  is  obsolete  as  far  as  general  usage  is  concerned,  but  has 
been  revived  for  poetry,  or  for  writing  that  aims  to  create 
an  old-time  atmosphere,  as  y-clept  for  called,  or  an  for  if.    A 


94 


GOOD  ENGLISH 


PROVINCIAL  WORD  is  used  only  in  a  limited  section  of  the 
country,  as  reckon  in  the  South,  and  guess  in  New  England 
and  elsewhere,  for  think.  A  dialectic  word  belongs  to  some 
dialect  that  differs  somewhat  from  the  standard  language, 
as  bonny  in  Scottish  for  comely  or  satisfactory.  Foreign 
WORDS  or  PHRASES  are  often  borrowed  from  another  language 
to  express  meanings  not  easily  or  exactly  conveyed  in  Eng- 
lish, as  tete  a  tete,  au  revoir,  status  quo.  Be  moderate  in  their 
use.     Use  English  where  Enghsh  will  serve. 


PRACTICE 
1.    Explain  the  meaning  of  the  following  words 


2. 


3. 


footballing 

aviation 

you-all 

chores 

sware 

pedal 

right  (in  "he  is  right  good") 

lot  (in  **a  lot  of  dogs") 

aeroplane 

alderney 

shunt 

audit 

carburetor 

auld  lang  syne 

binder 

label 

hoof 

passport 

Classify  the  words  above  according  as  they  are  archaic,  techni- 

cal, colloquial,  provincial,  ( 

iialectical,  slang,  or  coined. 

Look  up  the  following  words 

in  the  dictionary.     What  do  they 

mean?     What  does  the  dictionary  tell  you  of  their  interesting 

origin? 

alphabet          derrick 

lynch                         quixotic 

babel               dunce 

macadamize              shrapnel 

bloomer          fad 

mackintosh               sophomore 

boycott            galvanic 

namby-pamby         volt 

daily                gerrymander 

pompadour               zeppelin 

One  pupil  asked  another,  "Have  you  Csesared  yet?"  He 
meant,  "Have  you  studied  the  lesson  in  Csesar  yet?"  In- 
vent similar  coinages  that  pertain  to  your  work.  Which, 
if  any,  do  you  think  possible  of  permanent  adoption  in  the 
language?     Why? 


HOW  TO  BE  INTERESTING 


95 


5.  Give  homonyms  for  the  following :  — 

fain  greave  heard  medal  seen 

flue  hair  heir  our  sere 

fur  hale  bear  raise  tail 

gait  hart  limb  rap  you 

6.  Give  antonjrms  for  the  following :  — 

advance         clear  fierce  good  rapid 

aid  dull  genius  irregular        run 

beneficial       earn  get  learned  save 

certain  end  give  neglect  work 

7.  Give  synonyms  for  the  following :  — 

able  aged  balk  check  hard 

above  argument         beauty  claim  obstinate 

accurate         art  belief  coldness         prepare 

acquire  avenge  calmness         game  queer 

8.  What  is  your  own  opinion  of  the  following  words?     How  did 

they  come  into  use,  do  you  suppose  ?     Tell  as  nearly  as  you 
can,  without  looking  them  up,  what  they  mean :  — 
bang  clatter  hark  swish  twitter 

buzz  cUck  hiss  tinkle  whew 

chatter  fizz  jingle  titter  whiz 

clang  growl  mew  turnpike        wow 

9.  Make  lists  of  words  that  bear  upon  your  father's  work ;   upon 

your  mother's  work ;  upon  some  game  you  like  to  play ;  upon 
some  work  you  have  to  do  every  day ;  upon  the  subjects  you 
have  studied  or  are  now  studying. 
10.  Write  five  sentences,  each  containing  a  slang  word  or  phrase, 
or  a  colloquial  word  or  phrase.  Rewrite  them  in  standard 
English. 

LESSON  THIRTEEN 

The  Dictionary^ 

If  you  would  be  expert  in  the  use  of  words,  acquire  the 
dictionary   habit.     A   good   dictionary   registers   the   best 

1  The  major  part  of  this  lesson  is  taken  from  E.  W.  Gavins'  Teaching  the 
Use  of  the  Dictionary  in  the  School  News  for  September,  1917. 


96  GOOD  ENGLISH 

usage  of  the  best  speakers  and  writers  of  the  time.  It  will 
correct  your  misuse  of  words,  your  misspelUngs  of  words, 
and  your  mispronunciation  of  words.  It  will  do  more  than 
this,  —  it  will  help  you  to  increase  your  vocabulary.  You 
must  have  a  large  number  of  words  that  are  your  own. 
Milton,  you  know,  *'  owned  ^'  8000  words ;  Shakespeare,  twice 
that  many.  The  modern  dictionary  hsts  upwards  of  500,000 
words  that  are  now  in  use  in  one  place  or  another,  in  one 
form  or  another.  Many  children  on  entering  school  have 
a  vocabulary  of  about  3000  words.  A  child  of  twelve  is 
not  infrequently  acquainted  with  from  7000  to  10,000  words. 
The  number  of  words  in  the  speaking  vocabulary  of  a  scholar 
is  often  30,000. 

It  is  a  good  plan  to  have  a  small  pocket  dictionary  with 
you  all  the  time,  in  order  to  look  up  an  unknown  or  doubtful 
word  when  you  encounter  it.  To  delay,  as  a  rule,  means 
to  forget.  Once  you  have  found  the  word  in  a  dictionary, 
be  sure  that  you  know  the  signs  and  directions  that  help 
explain  it.  These  are  the  symbols  that  should  be  kept  in 
mind,  — 

'   means  the  primary  or  chief  accent,  —  heart'y. 
"  means  the  secondary  or  less  heavy  accent,  —  in"sig'nif'i'€ant. 
-   is  used  to  separate  syllables  when  accent  marks  do  not. 
*    is  used  by  the  Standard  Dictionary  to  denote  hyphen ;  and  the 
heavy  dash(-)  is  used  by  Webster  for  the  same  purpose,  thus 
fire-escape,  or  driving-wheel. 
<  means  that  a  word  is  derived  from  another  one. 
t  means  that  a  word  is  obsolete. 
II  means  that  a  word  is  archaic. 
§  means  that  a  word  is  rare. 

X  means  that  a  word  is  variant ;  that  is,  a  slightly  different  form 
of  another  word  meaning  almost  the  same  thing.  Fuze  is 
a  variant  of  fuse. 


HOW   TO  BE  INTERESTING 


97 


Here  are  some  of  the  more  important  abbreviations  used 
in  the  dictionary.  If  you  famiharize  yourself  with  them 
you  will  be  greatly  helped  in  looking  up  words.  A  complete 
list  will  be  found  in  any  good  dictionary,  — 


a. 

adjective 

i.  e. 

that  is  (id  est) 

abbr. 

abbreviate 

inter  j . 

interjection 

A.  D. 

Anno  Domini 

L. 

Latin 

adv. 

adverb 

myth. 

mythology 

ant. 

antonym 

n. 

noun 

AS. 

Anglo-Saxon 

obs. 

obsolete 

B.C. 

Before  Christ 

pert. 

pertaining 

Bib. 

Bible 

pi. 

plural 

cap. 

capital 

poet. 

poetry 

of. 

compare  (confer) 

p. 

page 

colloq. 

colloquial 

pp. 

pages 

conj. 

conjunction 

pop. 

population 

contr. 

contraction 

p.  p. 

past  participle 

deriv. 

derivation 

p.  pr. 

present  participle 

dial. 

dialectic 

prep. 

preposition 

dim. 

diminutive 

pres. 

present 

Eng. 

English 

prob. 

probably 

esp. 

especially 

prov. 

provincial 

etal. 

and  others 

r. 

rare 

etc. 

and  so  forth 

rhet. 

rhetoric 

etym. 

etymology 

Rom. 

Roman 

fig. 

figurative 

sp. 

spelUng 

F. 

French 

syn. 

synonym 

fr. 

from 

U.S. 

United  States 

Gr. 

Greek 

V.  i. 

verb  intransitive 

gram. 

grammar 

V.  t. 

verb  transitive 

There  are  certain  signs  used  to  indicate  the  sound  and 
quantity  of  letters,  particularly  of  vowels.  Two  dots  over  a, 
for  instance,  (a),  means  that  it  is  to  be  sounded  ah  as  in  art. 

H 


98  GOOD  ENGLISH 

A  dash  over  c,  (e),  means  that  it  is  to  be  pronounced  Uke  a,  as 
in  prey.  Other  such  modifications  are  hsted  and  explained 
in  the  dictionary,  usually  on  the  page  preceding  the  first 
page  of  words,  under  the  title  Key  to  Pronunciation.  This 
key  should  of  course  be  consulted  whenever  you  are  in  doubt 
about  the  sound  of  a  letter. 

The  correct  pronunciation  of  a  word  is  given  immediately 
after  the  word  itself.  If  more  than  one  pronunciation  is 
allowable,  the  preferred  one  is  given  first.  The  same  is 
true  when  two  spellings  are  permitted. 

Next,  the  part  of  speech  is  indicated  by  means  of  an 
abbreviation  written  in  italics  or  small  capitals.  The  parts 
of  verbs  are  given  in  parentheses,  as  is  also  the  comparison 
of  adjectives. 

The  source  from  which  a  word  comes  is  given  in  paren- 
theses, usually  after  the  definition. 

If  a  word  is  technical,  the  trade  or  profession  or 
science  to  which  it  belongs  is  indicated  also.  Brigade, 
for  example,  is  a  technical  word  that  belongs  to  military 
science. 

If  a  word  is  used  as  two  parts  of  speech,  it  is  defined  in 
two  ways,  and  the  definitions  are  separated.  Similarly, 
if  the  word  has  two  or  more  separate  and  distinct  uses  or 
meanings,  these  are  given  in  numbered  order. 

Words  that  are  used  in  making  up  compound  words  are 
compounded,  usually  in  heavy  type,  below  the  definition 
proper. 

These  are  the  principal  ''means  of  identification"  that 
you  should  be  familiar  with,  if  you  are  to  look  up  words 
intelhgently.  All  of  them  are  not  to  be  found  in  the  small 
pocket  dictionary,  for  the  little  book  has  to  be  too  closely 
printed  to  admit  of  elaborate  word  analysis.  It  must  be 
remembered,  too,  that  the  different  dictionaries  —  the  Cen- 


HOW   TO   BE  INTERESTING  99 

tury,  the  Oxford,  the  Standard,  the  Webster,  the  Worcester 
—  disagree  to  some  extent  in  the  use  of  these  marks.  All 
dictionaries  do  not  use  all  of  them ;  some  dictionaries  use 
additional  ones.  While  the  majority  of  the  marks  are 
used  in  the  ordinary  desk  dictionary,  a  much  fuller  word 
analysis  is  of  course  to  be  found  in  the  large  unabridged 
dictionary. 

Learn  to  find  words  quickly,  and  to  employ  the  vast  re- 
sources of  the  dictionary  in  your  everyday  work.  Time 
spent  in  learning  to  use  the  dictionary  is  time  well  spent, 
for  more  than  one  reason.  It  will  mean  a  saving  of  time 
later  on,  not  only  in  using  the  dictionary  itself,  but  in  con- 
sulting encyclopedias,  city  and  telephone  directories,  and 
alphabetical  lists  of  all  kinds.  Make  use  of  the  **  Guide 
Words,''  the  words  in  large  type  at  the  top  of  each  page 
of  the  dictionary.  There  is  no  need  of  running  down  col- 
umns. "Pounce"  on  words,  do  not  hunt.  Use  judgment; 
open  the  dictionary  not  more  than  twice  for  each  word. 
While  the  middle  of  the  alphabet  is  between  m  and  n,  the 
middle  of  the  dictionary  is  between  k  and  L  The  end  of 
the  first  quarter  is  in  the  d's ;  of  the  third  quarter,  in  the  r's. 
Many  words  begin  with  s,  c,  and  p ;  few  with  j,  k,  q,  x,  y,  z; 
five  times  as  many  begin  with  s  as  with  k,  q,  x,  y,  or  z. 

If  you  use  respectively  when  you  mean  respectfully,  if  you 
pay  pos-i-tive'ly  for  pos'i-tive-ly,  if  you  spell  coming  with  an 
e,  thus,  comeing,  you  will  quite  properly  be  called  an  illiter- 
ate person.  The  diligent  use  of  the  dictionary  will  save 
you  from  these  pitfalls.  Regard  it  as  an  old  friend.  Con- 
sult it  freely  for  advice.  Have  you  noticed  that  you  nearly 
always  hesitate  when  you  are  about  to  use  a  word  that  you 
are  not  quite  certain  of?  This  is  a  warning.  Heed  it  as 
you  would  heed  orders  from  your  physician  in  case  of 
illness. 


100  GOOD  ENGLISH 


PRACTICE 

1.  The  following  excerpts  are  taken  from  the  Standard  Dictionary, 

by  permission  of  Funk  &  Wagnalls  Company.  Study  the 
signs  used  and  the  form  of  word  analysis :  — 

ac-com'pIishS  1  a-kem'pli^;  2  a-cSm'plIsh,  vt.  t.  To 
bring  to  pass;  perform;  effect. .  2.  To  bring  to  comple- 
tion; finish.  [  <  L.*"  ad,  to,  +  compleo;  see  complete,  v.] 
Synj  achieve,  complete,  consummate,  discharge,  do. 
effect,  execute,  finish,  fulfil,  perform,  realize.  Perform  and 
accomplish  both  Imply  working  toward  the  end:  but  perform 
always  allows  a  possibility  of  not  attaining,  while  accomplish 
carries  the  thought  of  full  completion.  In  Longfellow's 
lines,  "'Patience;  auomplis h thy  lahor,"  etc. .perform  could 
not  be  substituted  without  great  loss.  As  between  complete 
and  accomplish, complete conaiderarsither  the  thing  as  done; 
accomplish,  the  whole  process  of  doing  it.  Achieve— to  do 
something  worthy  of  a  chief — signifies  always  to  perform 
some  great  and  generally  some  worthy  exploit.   See  attain; 

BFF?CT. 

fcour'te-sy,  1  k'Or'ti-si;  2  cOr'te-sy,  n.  [-sies^,  pi]  1. 
Genuine  and  habitual  politeness ;  courtliness.  2.  A  cour- 
teous favor  or  act.  3.  Common  consent.  [  <  F.  cour- 
toisie.]  cur'tc-syt.  Syn.:  see  address.  Compare  polite. 
—courtesy  (or  curtesy)  of  England,  the  tenure  by 
which  a  man  holds  for  life  the  estates  of  his  deceased  wife 
Inheritable  by  their  children. 

8yn'o-nym,  1  sin'o-nim;  2  si^n'o-n^m,  n.  1.  A  word 
having  the  same  or  almost  the  same  meaning  as  some 
other;  oftener,  one  of  a  number  of  words  that  have  one 
or  more  meanings  in  common.  2.  The  equivalent  of  a 
word  in  another  language.  ( <  Gr.^"*"*"  syn,  together,  + 
onoma,  name.]  syn'o-nymej. — sy-non'y-mist,  n.  A  col- 
lector and  expounder  of  synonyms.— syn''o-nym'i-ty,  n. 
— sy-non'y-mlzc,  vt.  [-mized;  -miz'ing.)  To  give  the 
synonyms  of;  express  by  words  of  different  meaning. 

2.  There  is  much  confusion  about  the  use  of  the  hyphen  in  certain 

Enghsh  words.  Even  the  dictionaries  do  not  agree  as  to  the 
compounding  of  certain  words. 

Some  words  are  usually  written  with  the  hyphen, — horse- 
power, nickle-plated,  sheet-iron. 

The  following  are  better  written  as  single  words :  —  meantime, 
maybe,  meanwhile,  anyway,  awhile. 

Any  one  and  every  one  are  usually  written  as  two  words,  but 
the  following  should  be  written  as  single  words  :  —  anybody, 
everybody,  anything,  nothing,  nobody,  everything,  forever. 

Usage  varies  as  to  the  hyphen  in  tonight,  today,  and  tomorrow ; 
there  is  a  growing  tendency  to  regard  them  as  single  words. 


HOW   TO   BE   INTERESl'II^ 


ibi 


Which  of  the  following  should  be  written  as  compound  words 
with  hyphen,  which  as  single  words,  and  which  as  two  or  more  in- 
dependent words?     Look  up  each  one  in  the  dictionary :  — 


5. 


base  ball 

foot  ball 

rail  road 

bird's  eye  view 

frame  work 

shoe  maker    ' 

black  smith  shop 

ginger  cake 

sitting  room 

book  keeping 

head  ache 

steam  boat 

business  like 

ice  house 

stomach  ache 

canal  boat 

Jew's  harp 

store  room 

class  room 

lumber  yard 

tooth  ache 

composing  room 

mid  way 

type  writing 

cook  book 

note  book 

ware  house 

dining  car 

per  cent 

wheat  field 

death's  head 

printing  press 

work  shop 

dress  maker 

rabbit's  foot 

every  day 

Syllabize  and  accent  properly  the  following  words.     Use  the 

dictionary :  — 

absolutely 

anxiety               familiar 

predecessor 

accountant 

athletics             governor 

prejudice 

adjective 

beneficial            legislature 

punctuation 

administration 

colonel                laboratory 

regular 

admittance 

convenient         operator 

representative 

agriculture 

disability            persuasion 

reversible 

antagonistic 

embroidery        precedent 

yesterday 

Look  up  the  following  words  and  tell  how  the  dictionary  explains 

them :  — 

a-gley 

hustle                 nonne 

pub 

bungalow 

ilk                       nonesuch 

pucka 

fere 

kern                   pseudo 

shack 

Ex- 


Look  up  the  following  words  for  definition  particularly, 
plain  what  you  find  out  about  each  one :  — 

chief  judge  part  rare  sober 

endeavor  note  prediction  sample  transit 

6.  Study  the  signs  indicating  the  pronunciation  of  letters,  as  found 
in  your  dictionary.  Write  ten  words  and  indicate  their  pro- 
nunciation by  means  of  certain  signs. 


102 


GOOD  ENGLISH 


9. 
10. 

11. 

12. 
13. 
14. 


15. 


16. 


Examine  the  appendix  of  an  unabridged  dictionary.  What  infor- 
mation is  contained  there  ?  Should  a  dictionary  be  a  word  book 
only,  do  you  think,  or  a  book  of  general  information?    Why? 

As  you  glance  through  an  unabridged  dictionary,  you  see  certain 
illustrations.  Why  are  some  words  illustrated  and  others 
not  ?     Explain. 

Use  all  the  diacritical  marks  you  know  for  the  letter  a. 

What  are  guide  words  ?    Where  are  they  found  and  what  does 

each  indicate  ? 
What  is  the  key  hne  in  the  dictionary  ?    Where  is  it  and  how  is 

it  used? 
How  does  the  dictionary  help  you  to  pronounce  a  word? 
In  what  way  is  syllabication  indicated  in  the  dictionary  ? 
How  are  compound  or  hyphenated  words  distinguished  in  the 

dictionary  from  other  words  written  with  a  hyphen  between 

certain  syllables? 
Compete  with  your  classmates  in  finding  the  following  words 

in  the  dictionary.     Look  them  up  in  the  order  given :  — 


dis  course 

ly  ce  um 

ro  bust 

re  com-se 

com  pa  ra  ble 

mus  tache 

ad  dress 

har  ass 

gon  do  la 

vi  0  Un 

a  dult 

op  po  nent 

ho  ri  zon 

for  mid  a  ble 

hos  pit  a  ble 

i  de  a 

pre  tense 

re  cess 

ex  qui  site 

in  ven  to  ry 

lam  en  ta  ble 

ro  mance 

des  sert 
des  pi  ca  ble 

ally 

Compete  with  your 

classmates  in  arranging  the  following  words 

alphabetically :  — 

- 

observe 

construction 

measurement 

measure 

hollyhock 

tennis 

material 

obsolete 

following 

tenant 

proposition 

constitution 

foolscap 

thermometer 

proposal 

observation 

theory 

penman 

pennant 

whether 

obstacle 

metric 

cucumber 

hoUowness 

HOW   TO  BE  INTERESTING  103 

LESSON   FOURTEEN 

Speaking 

When  a  good  story  is  well  written,  that  is,  well  planned, 
and  well  worded,  it  will  be  interesting,  unless  it  is  badly 
read.  And  if  your  stories  are  to  be  told  and  not  written, 
bad  speaking  can  ruin  the  very  best  of  material.  Further- 
more, just  as  your  choice  of  words  will  often  indicate  your 
brain  power,  so  your  manner  of  speaking  will  usually  indi- 
cate the  degree  of  refinement  and  true  cultivation  that 
you  have  attained.  To  speak  well  is  an  accomplishment 
as  valuable  as  good  writing ;  and  it  must  be  acquired,  if  ever, 
when  you  are  young. 

Here  are  just  a  few  general  rules  for  speaking,  — 

1.  Breathe  long,  deep  breaths.  Feel  your  body  contract 
and  expand  all  the  way  from  your  diaphragm  to  your  head, 
as  you  exhale  and  inhale. 

2.  Look  the  person  or  the  people  to  whom  you  are  speak- 
ing straight  in  the  eyes  when  you  speak. 

3.  Be  sure  to  pronounce  your  words  correctly  and  clearly 
and  distinctly.  Be  equally  sure  that  your  sentences,  even 
though  far  looser  and  more  informal  than  in  writing,  are 
complete. 

No  mere  statement  of  such  rules  as  these  will  be  of  much 
use  to  you  unless  you  wish  to  speak  well.  In  a  very  large 
measure  you  must  be  your  own  teacher.  Do  not  be  afraid 
to  speak  as  well  as  you  can.  It  is  not  affectation  to  speak 
good  EngUsh,  for  good  English  well  spoken  is  the  simplest, 
clearest,  and  most  natural  expression  for  your  thoughts.  Use 
good  words  rather  than  big  ones.  Do  not  assume  "airs  and 
graces,"  in  your  speech,  but  aim  to  pronounce  simple  words 
clearly  and  correctly.     Americans  have  a  national  habit  of 


104  GOOD   ENGLISH 

"  slurring '^  their  words,  even  when  they  pronounce  them 
correctly.  It  is  a  bad  habit,  for  it  makes  speech  difficult 
to  understand  and  unpleasant  to  the  ear.  They  have  an 
equally  bad  habit  of  talking  through  the  nose,  so  that  in  a 
group  of  mixed  races  an  American  can  be  distinguished  by 
the  unpleasant  qualities  of  his  voice,  and  the  difficulty  of 
understanding  the  words  he  slurs  or  nasalizes.  This  genera- 
tion will  never  be  rid  of  these  faults.  They  have  become 
second-nature  and  will  stick.  But  you,  the  new  generation, 
can  restore  good  speaking  in  America,  if  you  will  take 
seriously  your  voices  and  your  words.  Good  speech  habits 
are  no  harder  to  acquire  than  bad  ones. 

PRACTICE 

Perhaps  the  most  dangerous  errors  to  be  guarded  against  are  the 
two  indicated  in  the  third  rule  above,  —  mispronunciation  and  faulty 
construction.  In  this  exercise  you  are  asked  to  give  most  of  your 
attention  to  the  correction  of  mispronunciation.  In  the  practice  on 
pages  149  and  160  bad  constructions  are  treated. 

Practice  the  proper  pronunciation  of  the  words  in  the  lists  below. 
They  are  by  no  means  exhaustive.  Add  to  them  for  practice  your 
own  special  word  troubles.  Know  also  how  to  spell  these  words 
and  how  to  use  them ;  in  short,  make  them  your  own.  And  above 
all  remember  that  a  word  correctly  pronounced  is  not  well  spoken 
until  it  is  said  clearly  and  distinctly,  with  due  expression  for  each  of 
the  syllables,  —  until,  in  other  words,  it  is  properly  enunciated. 

1.   The  pronunciation  of  n^, — 

Do  not  pronounce  ng  as  nk\  do  not  pronounce  nfc  as  ng, — 
bring,  not  brink;  king,  not  kink;  ring,  not  rink;  sink,  not  sing; 
think,  not  thing. 

Do  not  sUght  ng  in  the  middle  of  a  word,  —  length,  not  lenHh; 
strength,  not  strength. 

Do  not  repeat  the  g  in  the  combination  ng,  —  bringing,  not  bring- 
ging;  figure,  not  Jigger ;  flinging,  not  flingging ;  singing,  not  singging. 

Do  not  missyllabize  words  in  which  ng  occurs,  —  an-ger,  not 
ang-er;  fin-ger,  not  fing-er;   lin-ger,  not  ling-er;   sin-gle,  not  sing-le. 


HOW   TO   BE   INTERESTING  105 

Do  not  omit  g  from  the  syllable  ing,  —  coming,  not  comin' ;  cuu' 
ning,  not  cunnin' ;    going,  not  goin' ;    playing,  not  playin\ 

2.  The  pronunciation  oi  th,  — 

Do  not  slight  or  mispronounce  th  when  it  occurs  at  the  end  of  a 
word,  —  depth,  eighth,  twelfth,  with. 

Do  not  pronounce  th  as  if  it  were  t,  —  think,  not  Vink ;  thirst,  not 
first;  thought,  not  fot;  thousand,  not  thousand;  throat,  not  froat; 
through,  not  tru;    throw,  not  tWow. 

Do  not  pronounce  th  (voiced)  as  if  it  were  d,  —  that,  not  dat; 
the,  not  de;   then,  not  den;   there,  not  dere;   this,  not  dis. 

Do  not  pronounce  ^^  as  if  it  were  p  in  the  word  something,  — 
something,  not  sumpi?i\ 

3.  The  pronunciation  of  wh,  — 

Do  not  pronounce  wh  as  if  it  were  w,  —  what  not  wat ;  when,  not  wen ; 
which,  not  wich;  whisper,  not  wisper;  white,  not  lyiie;  why,  not  lyy. 

4.  The  pronunciation  of  r,  — 

Do  not  pronounce  r  as  if  it  were  w,  —  red,  not  wed;  rise,  not 
wise;   rough,  not  wough. 

Do  not  omit  r  when  it  occurs  at  the  end  of  a  word,  — bar,  not 
hah;    butter,  not  buttah;    car,  not  cah. 

But  do  not  roll  r  when  it  occurs  at  the  end  of  a  word,  —  bar,  not 
barr ;  car,  not  carr. 

Do  not  add  or  insert  or  misplace  r  in  the  following  words :  — 
children,  not  childern;  drawing,  not  drawring;  hurrah,  not  hurroar ; 
idea,  not  idear ;  law,  not  /!ore;  row;,  not  roar;  saw,  not  soar;  <o,  not 
ter;   you,  not  yer. 

Do  not  pronounce  ir  or  ur  as  if  it  were  oi,  —  first,  not  /ois^ ;  Ger- 
man, not  Goiman;  girl,  not  groiZ;  journal,  not  joinal;  third,  not 
thoid;   Thursday,  not  Thoisday ;  turn,  not  ^ow;  lyor/:,  not  lyoiA;. 

On  the  other  hand,  do  not  pronounce  oi  as  if  it  were  er,  —  join, 
not  jern ;   oil,  not  erZ ;    oyster,  not  erster. 

5.  The  prontmciation  of  u,  — 

Do  not  pronounce  u  as  if  it  were  oo  in  such  words  as  avenue, 
duty,  educate,  figure,  institute,  picture,  student,  stupid,  Tuesday,  tune. 

6.  The  pronunciation  of  s  and  sh,  — 

Do  not  confuse  the  sounds  of  s  and  sh  with  z,  —  assure,  not 
azhure;  cease,  not  ceaze;  classify,  not  clazzify;  guess,  not  guez; 
gust,  not  guzt;  similar,  not  zimilar;  soften,  not  zoften;  yes,  not  yez. 


106 


GOOD  ENGLISH 


On  the  other  hand,  do  not  pronounce  hard  s  soft,  —  please,  not 
pleass;   msible,  not  vissible;   was,  not  wass;   whereas,  not  whereass. 

7.  The  pronunciation  of  J  and  ch,  — 

Do  not  confuse  the  sounds  of  j  with  ch,  —  German,  not  Cherman; 
John,  not  Chon;  joined,  not  chained;   rejoice,  not  rechoice. 

8.  The  pronunciation  of  d  and  /,  — 

Do  not  pronounce  d  as  if  it  were  t,  —  had,  not  hat;  had,  not  hat; 
readily,  not  reatily ;    saddle,  not  sa^fZe. 

Do  not  pronounce  t  Hke  d,  —  battle,  not  baddle;  bottle,  not  hoddle; 
butter,  not  budder ;  eighteen,  not  eideen;  gate,  not  gfade;  Saturday, 
not  Sadder  day ;  water,  not  wader. 

9.  The  pronunciation  of  the  vowels  a,  e,  i,  o,  u,  — 

Do  not  sUght  or  mispronounce  these  letters,  —  audience,  not 
audyence;  catch,  not  cetch;  detective,  not  detectuve;  difference,  not 
diffrunce ;  for,  not  /er ;  February,  not  Febrary ;  get,  not  g'i< ;  judg- 
ment, not  jedgment;  just,  not  ^ts^;  library,  not  libry ;  of,  not  wy; 
officer,  not  ufficer ;  oral,  not  aral ;  object,  not  objict ;  parent,  not  pur- 
ent;   program,  not  progrum;   was,  not  lywz;   i/e^,  not  ^^ 

10.   The  addition  and  subtraction  of  syllables,  — 
Do  not  omit  syllables  in  the  pronunciation  of 


accompanying 

hurrying 

poem 

carrying 

incidentally 

popular 

convenience 

interesting 

perhaps 

curiosity 

laboratory 

regular 

deUvery 

memory 

sarsaparilla 

famiUar 

miserable 

superintendent 

general 

Niagara 

singular 

governor 

original 

vulnerable 

history 

poetry 

particularly 

not  add  syllables 

in  the  pronunciation  of 

athletics 

lightning 

probably 

boisterous 

memorable 

several 

decorous 

mischievous 

similar 

drowned 

mountainous 

stupendous 

Elizabethan 

parliament 

tremendous 

familiar 

preposterous 

work 

HOW   TO  BE  INTERESTING 


107 


11. 


12. 


13. 


The  following  words   are   frequently  mispronounced, 
them  up  and  be  sure  of  their  pronunciation :  — 


Look 


administrative 

data 

joust 

almond 

deaf 

juvenile 

amateur 

debris 

Niagara 

apron 

docile 

odious 

bouquet 

elite 

patriotism 

bronchitis 

exigency 

precedent 

casualty 

fiane6 

recognize 

cement 

financier 

reptile 

censor 

gape 

reservoir 

censure 

garage 

salve 

champion 

hearth 

suite 

chauffeur 

hundred 

tedious 

creek 

immediate 

victuals 

tie  following  words  i 

are  frequently  accented 

on  the  wrong  syl- 

lable.     Look  them 

up  and  be  sure  of  their  pronunciation :  — 

acclimate 

detail 

inquiry 

address 

discourse 

interesting 

adult 

entire 

mustache 

alias 

essay 

positively 

alternately 

estimate 

preferable 

applicable 

express 

produce 

champion 

exquisite 

protest 

comparable 

formidable 

pumpkin 

deference 

hospitable 

recess 

deficit 

illustrate 

resource 

demonstrate 

influence 

romance 

Make  a  speech  to  your  classmates  on  one  or  more  of  the  follow- 
ing subjects.  Stand  erect,  speak  with  a  clear  voice,  form 
your  words  so  well  that  your  audience  will  be  helped  in  hear- 
ing you  by  watching  your  lips :  — 

How  the  dictionary  teaches  pronunciation. 

Special  troubles  in  pronunciation. 

Do  I  mumble,  or  are  you  deaf? 

Suiting  the  voice  to  the  size  of  the  room. 

Rules  for  correcting  faulty  speech. 

My  pet  mispronunciations  and  how  I  am  correcting  them. 


108  GOOD  ENGLISH 

Mistakes  heard  in  school. 

How  good  speech  afifects  my  marks  in  subjects  other  than 

English. 
The  influence  of  correct  and  of  incorrect  speech. 
Incorrect  speech  and  —  getting  a  job. 
Too  lazy  to  speak  well. 

Let  me  hear  a  man  speak  and  I'll  tell  you  what  sort  of  man  he  is. 
English  on  the  football  field. 
English  in  the  gymnasium. 

14.  Practice  the  correct  pronunciation  of  the  following.     Under 

which  of  the  above  groups  is  each  incorrect  word  Usted  ? 
Wistle  a  toon. 
The  luv  of  the  govermint. 
Witch  yer  goin'  ter  do  ? 
The  kink  is  ringging  de  bell. 
He's  readin'  de  Joinal. 
He's  doin'  dis  drawrin'  wurruk. 
Dey  jist  went  over  ter  Thoid  Avener. 
De  wader  is  berlin'. 
Bode  uv  de  gades  were  oben. 
Pleass  pazz  me  de  budder. 
Once  upon  a  roar  and  guzty  day. 

15.  List  the  mispronunciations  of  words  that  you  hear  every  day 

in  home  and  street  and  school.     Present  them  to  your  class- 
mates for  correction. 


LESSON  FIFTEEN 
The  Right  Use  of  Words 

The  lessons  on  the  word  that  have  gone  before  have  been 
designed  to  make  you  familiar  with  the  various  classes  of 
words,  a  ready  user  of  the  dictionary,  and  a  good  speaker. 
Whatever  you  have  learned  is  just  so  much  more  power 
added  to  tongue  or  pen.  The  real  test  of  this  power,  how- 
ever, comes  not  in  answering  questions  about  word-classes, 
but  in  finding  just  the  right  word  for  whatever  you  wish 


HOW    TO   BE   INTERESTING  109 

to  say,  and  using  it  correctly.  Your  thoughts,  your  feehngs, 
your  observations,  whatever  you  know,  may  be  tremen- 
dously interesting  and  yet  valueless  for  others  unless  you  can 
express  them  well.  And  you  can  never  express  them  fittingly 
without  the  right  words. 

The  highly  trained  human  mind  is  more  skilful,  just  as 
it  is  more  complex,  than  the  most  ingenious  machine.  When 
it  comes  to  the  choice  of  words,  indeed,  it  is  a  kind  of  super- 
machine  that  performs  (sometimes  almost  mechanically)  the 
most  remarkable  tasks.  You  are  writing  a  letter.  Your 
mood  is  sorrowful.  Automatically  the  mind  reaches  for 
words  that  express  grief,  pathos,  sympathy,  comfort.  You 
are  telhng  the  story  of  a  fire  in  a  tenement.  Names  of  color, 
sight,  odor,  words  that  convey  terror,  pain,  despair,  rescue, 
thankfulness,  come  flocking.  You  are  describing  an  animal, 
a  motor  car,  a  flower,  a  building  new  to  you.  Adjectives, 
technical  and  untechnical,  adverbs  that  clinch  your  mean- 
ing, verbs  that  name  the  exact  action,  nouns  that  fit  like 
the  hat  on  the  head,  are  at  your  command.  Or  rather, 
they  will  be  when  you  have  mastered  a  good  vocabulary. 

Indeed,  if  you  wish  to  test  your  classmates'  knowledge 
and  brain  power,  one  of  the  best  ways  is  to  try  them  with 
words.  If  they  have  really  learned  about  airplanes  or 
chemistry  or  cooking  or  government  or  football,  they  will 
have  the  technical  words  required.  If  they  can  think 
clearly,  reason  soundly,  see  truly,  they  will  show  their 
power  by  the  well-rounded  vocabulary  without  which 
thinking,  reasoning,  and  seeing  cannot  be  expressed. 

If  you  are  "  short  on  words,"  you  may  be  sure  that  the  lack 
is  a  serious  one.  And  it  is  a  lack  that  the  general  education 
you  are  getting  in  school  may  really  increase ;  for  school 
is  feeding  ideas,  facts,  knowledge  into  your  mind,  just  as 
life  is  feeding .  experience.     All  this  new  material  craves 


110  GOOD  ENGLISH 

to  be  expressed,  and  needs  new  words.  Help  your  brain 
to  catch  up  by  making  an  especial  study  of  words.  Get 
new  words  to  fit  your  new  ideas;  use  the  old  words  more 
accurately.  Do  not  say  you  had  a  ''good  time"  yesterday, 
when  you  mean  an  "exciting  time"  or  a  ''merry  time"  or 
an  "interesting  time."  Do  not  say  that  the  tree  in  front 
of  the  school  is  "big"  or  "beautiful"  when  you  can  discover 
what  kind  it  is,  note  the  color  of  its  leaves,  the  curve  of  its 
branches,  and  the  grace  of  its  swaying  in  the  wind.  Do  not 
be  content  with  "sort  of"  and  "kind  of"  —  "he  is  sort  of 
rough  to  me,"  or  "she  is  kind  of  nice"  —  when  you  can  get 
the  right  word  for  your  thought.  Be  very  particular  in 
your  choice  of  words.  This  does  not  mean  to  be  affected, 
or  to  use  a  big  word  when  a  small  word  will  do,  or  a  rare 
word  instead  of  a  common  one.  It  means  one  thing  only, 
to  use  the  right  word. 

PRACTICE 

1.  In  the  following  passage  fill  the  blanks  with  the  most  fitting 

words :  — 
The  English  sparrow  was  brought  to  America  years  ago  and  now 
has  become  our  commonest  bird.     He  is  a  noisy  little  fellow,  and 

all  day  long.     His  wings  are ;  his  bill  is ;   the  breast 

of  the  male  is ;    that  of  the  female  is .     They their 

nests  wherever  a  crevice  can  be  found  that  is  high  and  safe.     The 

nests  are  in  appearance,  and  made  of  .     At  night  they 

upon  ivied  walls,  or  in  dense  shrubbery.     Frequently  they 

birds  of  other and  drive  them  away. 

2.  Collect  all  the  words  you  can  find  to  express  motion  on  the 

earth ;   noises  made  by  the  mouth ;   actions  or  sounds  of  the 
wind;  anger. 

3.  Describe  your  schoolroom,  fitting  every  object  and  customary 

sight  or  sound  with  its  word  or  phrase. 

4.  Describe  accurately  the  front  of  your  schoolhouse,  or  its  door- 

way. 


HOW   TO  BE  INTERESTING  111 

5.  A  fly,  a  grain  of  corn,  a  piece  of  coarse  paper,  a  fragment  of 

stone,  a  cat's  eye,  a  flower  petal,  all  are  interesting  if  carefully 
observed.  Make  them  so  by  describing  them  in  accurate 
words. 

6.  Read  for  the  criticism  of  your  classmates  any  one  of  the  letters 

or  short  stories  written  in  earlier  lessons.  Let  the  criticism 
be  directed  solely  upon  words. 

7.  Compare  these  two  descriptions  of  the  same  spot.      Why  is 

the  second  better  than  the  first  ? 

On  one  side  of  the  canon,  beginning  at  the  edge  of  the  pool,  was 
a  small  meadow,  a  stretch  of  green  that  extended  to  the  bottom  of 
the  rock  wall.  Beyond  the  pool  a  little  slant  of  dirt  ran  up  to  meet 
the  other  wall.  Grass  covered  the  slope  —  grass  that  was  spotted 
with  flowers.  Below,  the  canon  was  shut  in.  The  walls  were  closer 
and  the  canon  ended  in  a  number  of  rocks,  moss-covered  and 
hidden  by  a  screen  of  vines  and  limbs  of  trees. 

On  one  side  of  the  canon,  beginning  at  the  very  lip  of  the  pool, 
was  a  tiny  meadow,  a  cool,  resiUent  surface  of  green  that  extended 
to  the  base  of  the  frowning  wall.  Beyond  the  pool  a  gentle  slope  of 
earth  ran  up  and  up  to  meet  the  opposing  wall.  Fine  grass  covered 
the  slope  —  grass  that  was  spangled  with  flowers.  Below,  the  canon 
was  shut  in.  The  walls  leaned  together  abruptly  and  the  canon 
ended  in  a  chaos  of  rocks,  moss-covered  and  hidden  by  a  green 
screen  of  vines  and  boughs  of  trees. 

8.  Make    interesting    the    following  by  getting    just    the    right 

words :  — 

The  cat  is  less  reliable  than  the  dog  because 

Happiness  differs  from  pleasure  in  that 

While  every  one  wishes  to  study,  few  enjoy  it  because 

A  sound  mind  makes  a  sound  body  because 

9.  Write  a  frank  letter  to  a  friend  pointing  out  the  qualities  you 

like  or  dislike  in  his  character.     Get  the  right  words. 

10.  Write  six  sentences  telling  exactly  what  you  see  in  the  picture 
on  the  next  page.  Use  as  many  words  as  you  can  that  belong 
strictly  to  hockey.  After  you  have  done  this,  explain  to  your 
father  or  mother,  or  to  some  one  else  who  is  not  familiar  with 
the  game,  what  is  taking  place  in  the  picture. 


kS  U\m'  I'rt  I  III  -    i\  I M  rki  nil  1 1  fv  tti 


A   PASS   IN   UOCKBT. 


CHAPTER  III 
HOW  TO  BE  CLEAR 

Introduction 

You  are  living  in  a  time  that  makes  exacting  demands 
upon  men  and  women.  Never  before  in  the  history  of  the 
world  have  such  clear-cut  action  and  such  definite  statement 
been  required  of  individuals  as  at  present.  It  is  some- 
times called  the  age  of  efficiency.  Clearness  and  accuracy  in 
writing  and  speaking  have  always  been  desirable  and  impor- 
tant ;  of  you,  they  will  be  required,  no  matter  what  your 
station  in  life  may  be. 

It  was  right,  in  a  book  like  this  one,  to  take  up  interest 
first.  You  very  naturally  wish  to  be  interesting,  to  hold 
attention,  to  be  Hstened  to,  before  any  other  desire  connects 
itself  with  the  writing  and  speaking  that  you  may  have  to 
do.  And  you  must  wish  to  speak  well  and  write  well,  before 
you  can  begin  to  make  progress.  But  very  quickly  another 
motive  enters.  You  desire  not  merely  to  get  attention; 
you  desire  to  be  understood,  you  desire  to  be  effective  with 
your  words.  This  means  that  you  wish  to  be  clear.  As 
your  experience  broadens,  and  the  things  you  have  to  say 
become  more  and  more  important,  the  value  of  clearness  in- 
creases, until  no  writing  or  speaking  will  satisfy  you,  no 
matter  how  beautiful  or  authoritative  it  may  be,  if  it  is  not 
clear.  The  French  have  a  saying  about  their  language,  *'If 
I  113 


114  GOOD   ENGLISH 

it  is  not  clear,  it  is  not  French,"  by  which  they  mean  that  no 
French  is  good  that  is  not  clear.  It  is  an  excellent  motto 
to  borrow  for  your  own  EngUsh. 

Why  you  must  be  clear  is  evident ;  the  question  remains, 
how? 

Think  clearly.  This  is  the  great  thing  to  be  desired  for 
clearness.  As  was  explained  in  the  first  chapter  of  this 
book,  you  cannot  write  or  speak  effectively  about  anything 
unless  you  have  seen  truly  and  accurately,  unless  you  have 
the  facts.  But  it  is  quite  possible  to  know  the  facts  about 
the  appearance  of  an  object  or  a  feehng  or  a  situation  or 
a  man's  character,  and  yet  be  entirely  unable  to  think  them 
out  and  explain  them  clearly. 

In  order  to  be  clear,  you  must  assort  and  arrange  your 
knowledge.  Indeed,  your  thoughts  change  knowledge  and 
feeling  into  clear,  explanatory  words  very  much  as  a  machine 
turns  pulp  into  fine  sheets  of  paper  or  rough  wool  into  cloth. 
This  chapter,  therefore,  is  first  of  all  a  chapter  on  thinking. 

In  the  first  chapter  of  this  book  you  were  told  that  language 
in  its  growth  had  followed  certain  inevitable  laws.  Words 
developed  as  names  for  ideas,  sentences  developed  in  order 
to  express  complete  thoughts,  paragraph  structure  was 
gradually  worked  out  to  develop  these  thoughts,  and  para- 
graphs were  grouped  together  into  a  whole  that  covered 
the  subject  which  man  wished  to  lay  before  his  fellow  man. 
The  need  for  clearness  was  the  force  behind  these  laws.  It 
was  because  men  had  to  make  themselves  understood  that 
sentence  structure  had  to  be  worked  out  and  paragraph 
structure  developed.  You,  when  you  try  consciously  to 
be  clear,  as  you  must  in  the  following  lessons,  will  feel  the 
need  of  good  sentences,  good  paragraphs,  a  good  plan  for 
the  whole,  as  never  before. 

You  cannot  (except  with  childishly  easy  things  to  say) 


HOW   TO  BE   CLEAR  115 

be  clear  without  good  sentences,  good  paragraphs,  and  a 
good  plan.  Learning  the  names  of  sentence  parts  is  dull 
work  by  itself.  Learning  how  to  develop  a  paragraph  is  a 
mechanical  affair  in  itself.  Learning  how  to  plan  coherently 
and  with  unity  and  emphasis  is  a  dry  task  when  regarded 
merely  as  a  lesson.  But  if  you  wish  to  master  the  sentence 
because  the  interesting  things  you  have  to  say  cannot  be 
said  effectively  without  strong  sentences,  then  you  will 
not  be  bored.  If  you  wish  to  understand  the  structure  of 
a  paragraph  because  those  editorials  for  your  school  paper 
or  that  explanation  of  the  construction  of  your  summer 
camp,  or  of  the  making  of  your  garden,  cannot  be  made 
clear  without  good  paragraphs,  then  the  work,  no  matter 
how  hard,  will  never  seem  tedious. 

The  order  then  for  this  chapter  is  Be  Clear.  Every 
lesson  in  it  is  valuable  because  it  will  put  the  tools  you 
need  into  your  hands  and  will  help  you  to  grasp,  in  this  way 
or  in  that,  the  means  that  have  been  developed,  through 
so  many  centuries,  for  making  language  clear. 


LESSON   SIXTEEN 
Business  Letters 

Nowhere  is  clearness  more  necessary  than  in  the  busi- 
ness letter.  A  business  letter  differs  from  a  friendly  or 
famihar  letter  chiefly  in  this,  —  it  is  not  written  merely  to 
interest,  or  to  convey  news  of  the  writer ;  rather,  it  asks  for 
definite  information  or  gives  definite  information.  It  may 
have  very  little  to  do  with  business  in  the  sense  in  which 
we  ordinarily  use  that  word,  but  it  is  always  business-like, 
that  is,  simple,  straightforward,  and  above  all,  clear. 

Make  a  study  of  the  following  business  letters.     Write 


116  GOOD  ENGLISH 

others  similar  to  them.     Perhaps  you  can  be  helpful  to 
your  father  and  mother  by  writing  real  order  letters :  — 

(1) 
Order  Letter 


20  State  Street,  Chicago, 

November  18,  1917. 

Messrs.  Brown  and  Gable, 

18  Wabash  Avenue, 

Chicago,  111 

Gentlemen : 

Enclosed  you  will   find   a  money   order  for  four 

dollars  and  sixty  cents  ($4.60)  for  which  please  deliver 

to  me  at  the  above  address  the  dictionary  that  you 

are  now  selling  at  this  special  price. 

Very  truly  yours, 

Antonio  Dalba 

HOW   TO  BE   CLEAR  117 

(2) 
Order  Letter 


120  F  Street 
Washington,  D.C. 
April  2,  1918 

A.  G.  Spalding  &  Brothers 

523  Fifth  Avenue 

New  York  City 

Dear  Sirs : 

Please  send  me  the  following  articles,  as  listed 
in  your  spring  catalog :  — 


Vo. 

Article 

Catalog  No. 

Price 

Total 

1 

Sweat  Band 

SB-No.  1 

$    .75 

$    .75 

1 

Pair  Tennis 

Shoes,  size  8 

No.  CD 

4.00 

4.00 

2 

Racket  Presses 

No.  2R 

1.00 

2.00 

3 

Tennis  Rackets 

No.  6  ("Nas- 

sau") 

3.50 

10.50 

Total  $17.25 

Check  is  enclosed  for  total  amount. 
As  the  merchandise  is  required  for  immediate 
use,  your  prompt  attention  to  this  order  will  be  ap- 
preciated. 

Yours  very  truly, 
James  Forester 


118  GOOD  ENGLISH 

(3) 
Receipt  Letter 


623    FlfTM    aVCNUB 

NEW  YORK 


April  4 
19  18 
James  Forester,  Esq., 
120  F  Street,  Washington,  D.C., 

Dear  Sir  : 

Thank  you  for  your  order  of  April  2, 
and  for  the  check  accompanying  it .  The 
goods  were  sent  out  this  morning  by 
Adams  Express,  charges  prepaid.  We 
trust  they  will  be  received  in  good  con- 
dition and  in  time  for  your  purpose. 
Receipted  bill  is  enclosed. 
Yours  truly, 
Thomas  Carter 

For  A,  G.  Spalding  &  Bros. 
TC/AAR 
Enc. 


HOW   TO  BE  CLEAR  119 

(4) 

Letter  of  Complaint 


120  Lenox  Avenue,  New  York, 
December  2,  1917. 

Thomas  Carston  &  Company, 
Broadway  &  20  Street, 
New  York. 

My  dear  Sirs : 

Please  note  the  following  error  in  the  filling  of  my 
order  of  November  30,  and  have  proper  adjustment 
made :  — 

Ordered  Received 

60  yds.  black  taffeta  (sample  enc.)       40  yds. 
20  spools  black  silk,  grade  A  (spool 

enc.)  12  spools 

20  yds.  silk  braid  (sample  enc.)  30  yds.  different 

quality 

I  have  been  delayed  in  my  work  by  the  mistake 
and    I    shall  appreciate   promptness  in  making  the 


adjustment. 


EG/CV 


Very  truly, 
(Miss)  Emma  Grant 
For  The  Grant  Gown  Co. 


120  GOOD  ENGLISH 

(8) 

Letter  of  Adjustment 


December  3,  1917 

Miss  Emma  Grant 
120  Lenox  Avenue 
New  York 

Dear  Madam  : 

¥e  regret  that  error  was  made  in  fill- 
ing your  order  of  November  30  and  that 
you  were  caused  inconvenience  thereby. 
We  make  correction  at  once.  The  bearer 
of, this  letter  brings  to  you  the  re- 
mainder of  your  order  for  taffeta  and 
spool  silk.  If  you  will  give  him  the 
braid  of  different  quality  from  the 
sample,  along  with  the  sample,  we  shall 
despatch  him  to  you  again  immediately 
on  his  return,  with  the  grade  desired. 
Very  truly  yours , 

Thomas  Carston  &  Company 
by  C.L.V. 
CLV/JA 


HOW   TO  BE   CLEAR  121 

PRACTICE 

1.  Point  out  differences  in  form  and  content  between  these  letters 

and  those  on  pages  8  to  15. 

2.  Note  order  letter  (2).     Is  it  a  good  plan  to  itemize  an  order, 

that  is,  to  place  each  item  ordered  on  a  separate  line  ?  Why  ? 
Why  should  the  total  amount  be  stated  in  an  order  for  several 
different  items  ? 

3.  Note  letter  (3).     How  does  the  heading  in  this  letter  differ 

from  the  heading  in  (2)  ?     Why  this  difference  ? 

4.  Compare  the  salutations  in  these  letters  with  one  another  and 

with  those  in  the  friendly  letters  on  pages  8  to  15.     Note  the 

punctuation   used   after   the    salutations   in    both   groups. 

Would  "Dear  Miss  Grant:"    be  better  in  (5)  than  "Dear 

Madam : "  ?     Explain. 
["Thomas  Carston  &  Company"  is  the  name  of  a  firm  and  the 
salutation  Dear  Sirs :  or  Gentlemen :  is  therefore  perfectly  allowable. 
When  the  firm  name  consists  of  two  or  more  names,  it  is  not  neces- 
sary to  prefix  Messrs.  in  addressing  the  firm,  — 

Lord  and  Taylor 

A.  G.  Spalding  &  Bros. 

Brown  and  Gable  Company. 

The  last  one  may  be  written  The  Brown  and  Gable  Company.] 

5.  Note  that  such  expressions  as,  —  Yours  reed.,  Replying  to  yours 

of,   In  reply  would  say.   Permit  me  to  say,  are  not  used  in 

business  letters  that  are  concise,  clear,  and  to  the  point. 

Why? 

Note  also  that  Hoping  to  hear  from  you  soon.  Trusting  that  I 

may  receive  an  early  reply,  and  other  such  participial  closings 

are  not  used.    Why  ? 

6.  Why   are   Cordially   yours,   Gratefully   yours,    Lovingly   yours, 

Faithfully  yours,  not  used  as  complimentary  closings  in  the 
above  letters  ? 

7.  Note  the  reference  data  given  in  the  lower  left-hand  corner  of 

Nos.  (3),  (4),  (5).  The  first  initials  are  those  of  the  one 
who  dictated  the  letter;   the  second  are  those  of  the  one 


122  GOOD  ENGLISH 

who  typed  it.  Enc.  means  enclosure,  that  is,  something  is 
enclosed  in  the  letter.  Observe  the  letter-head  in  (3).  What 
information  does  it  give  about  the  firm?  Secure  other  busi- 
ness letter-heads  and  compare  them  with  this  one.  Make  a 
list  of  the  items  contained  in  those  letter-heads  that  you 
consider  best.  Gaudy  and  excessively  elaborate  letter-heads 
should  be  avoided. 

8.  In  referring  to  money  enclosed  in  a  business  letter,  the  reference 

should  be  made  by  means  of  both  writing  and  figures,  thus, 
forty  dollars  ($40),  or  forty  (40)  dollars,  or  Forty  (40)  Dollars. 
The  words  may  or  may  not  be  capitahzed.  Correct  the 
following:  —  Sixty  {$60)  Dollars;  sixty  dollars  (60);  Sixty 
(60)  dollars. 

9.  If  you  have  studied  the  foregoing  letters  and  solved  the  prob- 

lems, you  will  have  learned  these  things  about  writing  busi- 
ness letters,  — 

(1)  They  must  be  brief  and  to  the  point. 

(2)  They  must  be  stripped  of  all  superfluous  phrasing,  such  as,  — 

*' Yours  of  18  ult.  received  and  in  reply  would  say  — " 
"Hoping  to  receive  a  favorable  reply,  I  am  — " 

(3)  The  forms  Mr.  and  Messrs.,  Madam  and  Mesdames,  need 

be  used  only  when  you  are  addressing  definite  individuals. 
They  are  not  necessary  when  you  are  addressing  firms. 

(4)  Letter-heads  should  be  brief  and  dignified.     The  name  of 

the  firm,  the  address,  the  name  of  the  business,  the  tele- 
phone number,  and  the  branch  offices  (if  any)  are  all 
that  may  be  included  in  the  letter-heads  of  the  best  firms. 

(5)  Punctuation  may  or  may  not  be  omitted  and  margins  of 

headings  and  addresses  may  be  vertical  or  diagonal. 
You  should  be  consistent  in  both  of  these  matters  in  the 
letter  proper  as  well  as  on  the  envelope.     (See  page  23.) 

(6)  The  letter  must  be  placed  on  the  paper  so  that  there  will  be 

about  an  equal  amount  of  unused  space  on  all  four  sides. 
You  may  not  be  able  to  place  your  letter  quite  accurately, 
but  you  can  easily  avoid  placing  a  very  brief  letter  in  an 
absurdly  awkward  position  on  the  sheet. 

(7)  Reference  data  may  be  placed  either  in  the  letter-head  or 

in  the  lower  left-hand  corner  of  the  letter. 


HOW   TO  BE   CLEAR  123 

(8)  Such  abbreviations  as  th.  (4th),  si.  (1st),  rd.    (3rd),  inst. 

(present),  prox.  (next),  ulL  (last),  yrs.  (yours)  are  going 
out  of  use. 

(9)  You  must  be  courteous  always  in  your  business  letters. 

Yrs.  for  Yours  in  Yours  truly  is  a  type  of  discourtesy  as 
is  any  other  form  of  ciu't  abbreviation. 

10.   With  these  points  clearly  in  mind,  comply  with  the  following :  — 

(1)  Write    to  The  Macmillan   Company,    64   Fifth   Avenue, 

New  York,  ordering  two  copies  of  this  book. 

(2)  Write  The  Macmillan  Company's  letter  to  you  in  reply. 

(3)  Write  to  John  Wanamaker,  Broadway  &  Ninth  Street, 

New  York,  asking  for  the  correction  of  an  error  made  in 
their  bill  on  your  monthly  account. 

(4)  Write  to  the  manager  of  a  team  in  some  other  school  re- 

questing arrangements  for  a  match. 

(5)  Reproduce  the  reply  from  the  manager  mentioned  in  (4). 

(6)  Write  to  A.  G.  Spalding  &  Bros.,  623  Fifth  Avenue,  New 

York,  ordering  baseballs,  bats,  catcher's  glove,  breast 
protectors,  and  shoes.  Write  the  order  in  itemized  form 
and  state  prices. 

(7)  Reproduce  the  reply  to  the  above  letter. 

(8)  Write  to  Lord  &  Taylor,  38  Street  and  Fifth  Avenue,  New 

York,  requesting  samples  of  dress  goods. 

(9)  Reproduce  the  reply  of  Lord  &  Taylor  to  the  above. 


LESSON   SEVENTEEN 

Letters  of  Application 

Which  of  the  five  following  letters  of  application  do  you 
consider  the  best?  Point  out  all  the  differences  in  form 
and  content  among  these  letters.  Remember  that  a  letter 
of  application  is  really  a  letter  of  sale,  —  a  letter  in  which 
the  writer  is  marketing  his  abilities.  Which  of  these  do  you 
think  is  most  successful,  from  this  point  of  view  ? 


124  GOOD  ENGLISH 

(1) 


18  Feliciana  Street, 
New  Orleans,  La., 
May  2,  1918. 


Help  Wanted  - 

-Male 

1 

BOY 

—  Handy  boy  in  office 

$6  to  start.     Not      1 

over 

15.     Chance   for   advancement. 

Answer   in 

own 

landwriting,  stating  age, 

education 

,  and  refer- 

ence. 

Times.  4.  L.  P. 

My  dear  Sirs : 

I  write  in  answer  to  your  advertisement  in  the 
morning  Times  for  an  office  boy. 

I  am  fifteen  years  of  age,  a  graduate  of  elementary 
school,  and  have  had  one  year  in  high  school  with  an 
average  standing  of  93%.  Owing  to  the  fact  that  my 
father  has  recently  died  I  am  obliged  to  assist  my 
mother.  My  purpose  is  to  work  in  the  day  time  and 
to  attend  school  in  the  evening. 

I  can  call  to  see  you  at  any  time  and  can  present 
recommendation  from  the  principal  of  the  high  school 
I  attended. 

Yours  truly, 

John  Talmadge 


HOW   TO  BE   CLEAR  125 

(2) 


13  Sheridan  Street, 
San  Francisco,  Calif., 
February  11,  1918. 

P.X.  —  Cal. 

Dear  Sir : 
Please  consider  the  following  in  answer  to  your 

advertisement  in  the  Call  this  morning  for  a  handy 

girl  in  a  dressmaker's  establishment : 

1.  I  am  16  years  of  age. 

2.  I  am  a  graduate  of  elementary  school. 

3.  I  have  had  a  half  year  at  high  school. 

4.  I  have  worked  for  six  months  in  the  office  of 

the  Tupper  MiUinery  Company. 

5.  My  present  salary  is  $5  a  week. 

6.  I  desire  to  make  a  change  because  I  prefer 

training  in  the  dressmaking  business  to  train- 
ing in  the  miUinefy  business. 

7.  I  enclose  letters  of  recommendation  from  my 

elementary  and  high  school  principals. 
Very  truly  yours, 
Mary  Swart 


126  GOOD  ENGLISH 

(3) 


605  Pitcher  Street, 
Baltimore,  Md., 
May  10,  1918. 


BOY  WANTED.  —  16  yrs.  of  age  in  real  estate 
olBce.  Grammar  school  graduate.  Good  penman. 
Answer  in  own  handwriting,  stating  nationality, 
age,  education,  experience.     American,  Box  24, 


Gentlemen : 

In  reply  to  the  above  advertisement  in  today's 
American,  I  submit  the  accompanying  statement  as 
to  my  qualifications  for  the  position. 

I  am  at  Hberty  to  call  upon  you  at  your  conven- 
ience, should  you  care  to  see  me. 

Very  truly  yours, 
Alfred  Brush 


The  statement  —  Nationality  —  American 
Age  —  Sixteen 

Education  —  Graduate  of  granmiar 
school 
—  One  year  in  high  school 
Experience  —  Two  summers  as  gen- 
eral assistant  in  the 
real  estate  office  of  the 
A.  H.  Crosby  Co. 


HOW   TO   BE   CLEAR  127 

(4) 


18  West  Avenue, 
Pittsburgh,  Pa., 
May  12,  1917. 
My  dear  Mr.  McCorkle : 

On  my  graduation  from  grammar  school  you  told 
me  that  you  would  like  to  have  me  write  you  when 
I  felt  like  going  to  work.  Well,  I  am  ready  for  work 
now  and  I  shall  appreciate  any  opportunity  you  msy 
have  to  offer  me. 

I  have  been  in  high  school  almost  a  year.  I  likb  xi., 
and  am  getting  on  very  well,  as  my  enclosed  report 
cards  will  show  you.  But  father's  business  has  been 
getting  worse  because  of  the  war  and  mother's  health  is 
faiUng  quite  rapidly.  1  cannot  help  feeUng,  therefore, 
that  I  ought  to  go  to  work  and  earn  at  least  my  own 
shoes !     (I'm  pretty  hard  on  shoes,  mother  says.) 

I  do  not  know  how  much  I  could  be  worth  to  you.  I 
do  not  even  know  what  I  can  do  for  you.  Figures 
come  easy  for  me,  and  I  beheve  I  could  develop  as 
an  advertiser  if  I  were  given  a  chance.  During  the 
past  year  at  high  school  I  have  had  charge  of  all  collec- 
tions for  the  school  paper,  a  very  unusual  job  for  a 
first-year  boy,  they  say.  I  have  also  written  a  great 
many  notices  for  various  games,  which  must  have  had 
some  "punch"  in  them,  for  tickets  were  sold  out  al- 
most every  time. 

Please  do  not  say  anything  to  father  and  mother 
about  my  writing  you.  I  don't  want  them  to  know. 
They  insist  upon  my  staying  in  high  school.    And  I 


128  GOOD  ENGLISH 


don't  want  you  to  give  me  a  position  just  because 
you  know  my  parents.  No,  sir!  —  I  want  to  " make 
good  "  on  my  own  account.  Thisis  just  an  inquiry.  If 
you  have  anything  that  you  think  I  can  do,  why,  I'll 
try  it  like  a  regular  employee,  forgetting  that  you 
ever  spoke  to  me  about  the  matter  at  that  grammar 
school  commencement. 

Sincerely  yours, 

Frank  Shaner 
Ogden  McCorkle,  Esq., 
c/o  The  McCorkle  Iron  and  Coal  Co., 
189  Carson  Street, 
Pittsburgh,  Pa. 


HOW   TO   BE   CLEAR 

(5) 


129 


18  Spruce  Street, 
Philadelphia,  Pa., 

March  20,  1918. 
Dear  Sir : 

Replying  to  this  advertisement 


Help  Wanted  —  Female 

GIRL.  —  City,  15  or  16,  one  who  will  appreciate 
good  country  home  and  plenty  of  wholesome  food, 
to  help  farmer's  wife  with  housework  during  siun- 
mer.     $1.50  a  week  with  board.     Press,  Box  8. 


I  submit  the  following :  — 

I  am  fifteen  and  a  half,  just  graduated  from  grammar 
school,  and  shall  appreciate  an  opportunity  to  spend 
the  summer  on  a  farm  at  the  terms  mentioned.  My 
mother  can  recommend  me  as  a  careful  assistant  in 
doing  housework.  I  can  wash  dishes,  make  beds, 
sweep,  scrub,  and  sew.  Mother  will  be  glad  to  have 
you  call  at  the  above  address  at  any  time. 
Very  truly  yours, 

Janet  Hayes 


PRACTICE 

Note  in  four  of  the  above  letters  that  the  advertisement  answered 
is  referred  to  or  enclosed.  Note  also  the  direct  and  exphcit  answer 
to  the  advertisement.  Everything  that  an  advertisement  asks  for 
should  be  answered,  preferably  in  the  same  order. 

K 


130  GOOD  ENGLISH 

1.  Have  each  member  of  your  class  apply  for  some  position. 

Let  the  class  determine  which  appUcations  may  be  rejected, 
and  why. 

2.  Write  letters  of  application  for  various  positions,  such  as  office 

helper,  store  clerk,  delivery  man,  and  show  just  how  they 
would  differ  in  form. 

3.  Conduct  interclass  correspondence,  regarding  one  class  as  em- 

ployers and  one  as  appUcants. 

4.  Write  replies  to  the  letters  on  pages  124  to  129.      If  any  of 

these  require  a  series  of  letters,  invent  the  correspondence. 

5.  Write  answers  to  one  or  more  of    the  following    advertise- 

ments :  — 


BOY  who  has  left  school  permanently  wanted  in 
publishing  house,  to  run  errands  at  first ;  excellent 
chance  for  intelligent  boy  to  learn  good  business; 
hours  8 :30  to  5  P.M.,  noon  Saturday  all  year  around ; 
$6  to  start.  Address  in  own  handwriting,  stating 
age,  education,  and  experience,  if  any,  A  223  Times 
Downtown. 


Boys.  —  Bright  boys  15-17  years;  oflSce,  stock, 
apprentice  salesmen;  permanent  positions;  ex- 
cellent opportunities  for  advancement;  apply  per- 
sonally or  letter.     Revillon  Frdres,  26  West  35. 

BOYS,  several,  over  16,  in  a  large  office  near  Grand 
Central ;  excellent  opportunity  for  advancement ; 
must  be  of  neat  appearance ;  give  full  particulars, 
including  salary  desired.     T  171  Call. 

BOY,  bright,  industrious,  one  living  in  Greenpoint 

g referred;     we  have  an  opening  for  such  a  lad; 
right  future;   references.     X  18,  Bulletin. 

BOY  for  general  office  work ;  chance  to  advance ; 
state  age,  experience,  and  salary  expected.  M  123 
Times. 

GIRL.  —  PERMANENT  CLERICAL  POSI- 
TION WITH  (;(K)D  SALARY,  FOR  YOUNG 
GIRL  WHO  IS  WILLING  TO  WORK;  NO 
EXPERIENCE       NECESSARY.  LUDWIG 

BAUMANN  &  CO.,  144  WEST  125  ST. 

Girls 
Bright  and  neat  girls  to  fold  and  inclose  circu- 
lars ;  $7  per  week ;  hours  8 :  30  to  5 :  30,  1  o'clock 
Saturdays.  Apply  to  Miss  Ahearn,  10  floor, 
The  Butterick  Publishing  Co.,  Spring  and  Mac- 
dougal  Sis..  N.  Y. 


HOW   TO   BE   CLEAR  131 


GIRL  to  do  office  boy's  work;  $6  to  start,  with 
advancement ;  good  opportunity ;  permanent  posi- 
tion ;   state  age  and  references.     J  100  Times. 

GIRL  by  wholesale  dry  goods  house,  to  do  filing 
and  attend  to  mail ;  state  age,  references,  and 
salary  wanted.     O  302  Post-Dispatch. 

OFFICE.  —  Young  lady  to  assist  generally  in 
office  manufacturing  concern;  good  p)enman  and 
figurer ;  would  break  in  bright  girl  to  start ;  state 
salary,  experience,  if  any ;  steady.  F  274  Record- 
Herald. 

OFFICE  WORK.  —  Young  lady  for  clerical  work 
in  mercantile  house;  experience  unnecessary; 
salary  $8-$9.     F  282  Constitution. 


6.  Write  to  an  influential  friend  asking  him  to  write  in  your  behalf 

to  an  employer  who  has  a  position  open. 

7.  Write  to  a  farmer  asking  him  to  permit  you  to  work  on  the  farm 

during  the  summer  for  board  and  clothing. 

8.  Write  to  a  business  friend  of  your  family  asking  him  if  he  is 

hkely  to  have  an  opening  for  you  on  your  graduation  from 
school,  —  a  semi-business  letter. 

9.  Your  parents  are  displeased  when  they  learn  that  you  have 

written  the  letter  under  No.  8-  One  of  them  writes  to  the 
employer.  Reproduce  the  letter.  Reproduce  the  replies 
written  by  the  employer  to  you  and  to  your  father. 


LESSON   EIGHTEEN 

Special  Business  Letter  Forms 

Consult  page  28  for  general  directions  about  the  en- 
velope. The  business  envelope  differs  from  the  envelope 
of  the  friendly  letter  in  that  the  name  and  address  of  the 
firm  are  usually  printed  in  the  upper  left-hand  corner. 
Sometimes  they  are  printed  on  the  flap  on  the  back  of  the 
envelope  rather  than  on  the  face  of  it.  Observe  the  follow- 
ing model :  — 


132  GOOD  ENGLISH 


The  Elm  City  Nursery  Co., 
Office  and  Sales-Nurseries, 

Edoewood,  New  Haven,  Conn. 


Mr.  James  B.  Dugan, 

517  Woodward  Ave., 
Detroit, 

Michigan. 


Consult  page  30  for  different  forms  of  address.  It  is 
especially  important  that  the  address  on  the  envelope  of  a 
business  letter  shall  be  an  exact  copy  of  the  address  in  the 
letter.  Observe  the  following  in  connection  with  addressing 
high  officials :  — 

(1)  The  President  of  the  United  States, 
Executive  Mansion, 
Washington,  D.C. 

(2)  The  Hon.  Peter  Murphy, 
Senate  Chamber, 

The  Capitol, 
Washington,  D.C. 

(3)  The  Hon.  James  Ferguson, 

United  States  House  of  Representatives, 
Washington,  D.C. 

(4)  The  Hon.  John  F.  Hylan, 
Mayor's  Office, 

City  Hall, 
New  York. 

(5)  President  Nicholas  Murray  Butler, 
Columbia  University, 
Broadway  and  116  Street, 

New  York. 


HOW   TO  BE   CLEAR  '        133 

(6)  The  Hon.  James  Corrigan, 
Appellate  Court  Building, 
Madison  Square, 

New  York. 

(7)  Rabbi  Stephen  Wise, 
23  West  90  Street, 
New  York  City. 

(8)  The  Rev.  James  Stimson, 

Pastor  of  the  Congregational  Temple,        , 
60  Street  and  Kent  Ave., 
St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Salutations  in  letters  to  officials  vary  in  form  and  depend, 
in  some  measure,  upon  your  acquaintance  with  the  one 
addressed.  To  the  President  and  the  Mayor  you  may 
use,  — 

Sir: 

Dear  Sir : 

Dear  Mr.  President : 
Dear  Mr.  Mayor : 
To  another  official,  such  as  a  senator  or  a  judge,  — 
Dear  Judge  Anderson : 
Dear  Senator  Murphy : 

or 
Dear  Sir : 
Sir: 
The  proper  complimentary  closings  in  business  letters  are 
the  simple  ones  indicated  on  page  18.     Americans  are  not 
given  to  elaborate  complimentary  closings.     In   European 
countries  the  following  elaborate  closing  to  an  official  letter 
is  by  no  means  uncommon  :  — 

I  beg  to  remain,  Sir, 

Your  humble  and  obedient  servant, 
(Signature) 


134  GOOD  ENGLISH 

PRACTICE 

1.  Address  envelopes  to  the  prominent  officials  and  citizens  in  your 

community. 

2.  Address  envelopes  to  several  business  houses  in  youj*  community. 

3.  Compose  printed  matter  to  be  printed  on  the  envelopes  used  by 

various  school  organizations. 

4.  Write  a  letter  to  the  mayor  of  your  town,  to  your  state  senator, 

or  to  the  President  of  the  United  States,  asking  for  approval 
•  or  indorsement  of  some  reform  movement  in  connection  with 
your  community. 

5.  Write  a  letter  to  your  minister,  priest,  or  rabbi,  asking  him  to 

address  your  class  or  your  school  on  a  certain  date. 

6.  Write  a  letter  to  your  member  of  the  House  of  Representatives 

at  Washington,  D.C.,  asking  him  to  send  you  certain  informa- 
tion that  you  need  for  preparing  a  speech. 

LESSON   NINETEEN 
Formal  Notes 
This  is  an  informal  invitation,  — 


• 

30  West  Ave., 

Norwalk,  Conn., 

June  12,  1918. 

Dear  Bill, 

Comp  over 

Friday  at  2 

1  o'clock.    The  fellows  are 

go- 

ing  to  be  here  and  we're 

going 

to  have  a  game  — 

you 

know !    Weai 

'  your  old  clothes 

or  you'll  be  sorry !  I 

As  ever. 

Tom 

HOW   TO   BE   CLEAR  135 

But  formal  invitations  and  announcements  are  not  written 
in  this  free  fashion.  An  engraver  does  the  work  and  he  has 
certain  estabhshed  forms  which  he  follows.  He  uses  the 
third  person  throughout,  ignores  the  customary  usage  as  to 
letter  parts,  and  places  the  whole  form  on  a  card.  Observe 
the  following :  — 


C^/^  ^/^^^  <./McJ2^^/^  ^^ 

€1 

'ie-'O^ued^  ^A-e  ■/i^'cuut^e.  -aj:  ^-a-ud.  ^yted^eypi-c-e  -tz-t -a. 

cf.^ 

-^  ^e.  -^^-ue^Pt  -a-C  -lAe-   ^^-A^iA-^-e^.  <::^-(U€<Pe 

oyyi.  CyAi^yid-cUz/M,  ■c^yte4/j^<3.<i/7^  Cy^'U-t'CKc^y,  ^l^-e  dt 

^/ 

j^O/!^^  j:04^^    -(^l^^-lU^ de.^tt.£y»^    -a  -C-i^-cA. 

64^4^    ^i^/^-Zcf^'^^^^/ 

136  GOOD  ENGLISH 


request  tfje  f^onov  of 

's 

presence  at  tje  marrtafle  of  tfjeir  trausllter 

Bba  i»arie 

to 

^v.  STijomas  JE,  <9:larfte 

on  STueslras  morninfl,  Xobetnter  tje  ttoelft^ 

at  ten  o'clock 

©ijurclj  Saint  fiflnatius  3Lo3?oIa 

'  !Nfine  J^unlrrelr  anlr  lEiQijtw  3Parfe  ^benue 

l^eto  ¥orfe  ettfi 


You  will  rarely  be  called  upon  to  construct  such  dignified 
and  formal  compositions  as  these,  but  certainly  you  will 
receive  some  like  them  before  you  are  very  much  older. 
You  should  know  what  they  are  like  and  how  to  write  them. 
Note  the  omission  of  salutation  and  complimentary  closing 
and  signature,  the  placement  of  the  heading,  when  used,  in 
the  lower  left-hand  corner,  the  use  of  the  third  person,  and 
the  brevity  and  directness. 


HOW   TO  BE   CLEAR  137 

In  answering  formal  invitations,  bearing  the  letters 
R.  S.  V.  P.  (an  abbreviation  from  the  French  ^^Repondez 
sHl  vous  plait, ^^  meaning  ''Please  answer"),  the  third  per- 
son should  again  be  used,  and  the  response  arranged  as 
follows :  — 


Mr.  George  Bronson  accepts  with  pleasure  (or  re- 
grets that  he  cannot  accept)  the  kind  invitation  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilfred  Brown  for  Friday,  December 
the  third. 

27  Guilford  Avenue, 
New  Haven,  Connecticut. 


PRACTICE 

1.  Write  an  announcement  of  a  school  exhibition. 

2.  Write  a  formal  dinner  invitation  from  your  parents  to  your 

teacher. 

3.  Write  your  teacher's  formal  note  of  acceptance. 

4.  Write  an  announcement  of  the  marriage  of  your  sister  or  of  a 

friend. 

5.  Write  an  invitation  to  a  party  to  be  given  by  yom:  sister. 

6.  Write  two  or  three  different  acceptances  of  your  sister's  invita- 

tion. 

7.  Write  a  formal  request  for  excuse  of  absence  from  school. 

8.  Write  a  teacher's  formal  acceptance  of  excuse  for  absence. 

9.  Write  a  formal  regret  for  being  unable  to  accept  an  invitation. 
10.  Write  a  formal  card  of  thanks  for  sympathy  extended  to  you. 


138  GOOD  ENGLISH 

LESSON   TWENTY 

The  Sentence 

Unless  you  have  a  "gift"  for  writing,  you  must  have 
bitten  your  pen  or  pencil  more  than  once  in  following  out 
the  suggestions  of  previous  lessons.  In  business  letters 
especially,  it  was  necessary  to  put  your  ideas  into  sentences 
that  said  all  that  you  wished  and  said  it  clearly.  If  you 
failed,  it  was  often  because  you  did  not  know  how  to  make 
your  sentences  work. 

A  sentence,  with  its  subject  and  predicate  and  its  various 
clauses,  is  hke  a  trout  line  with  its  group  of  flies.  When 
a  skillful  fisherman  casts  his  line,  the  leader  straightens, 
each  fly  stretches  above  the  water  and  settles  upon  the 
surface  in  due  relation  to  every  other.  But  a  bad  cast 
tangles  them  in  hopeless  confusion.  The  thought  of  the 
writer  in  sentence  writing  is  like  the  twist  of  the  wrist  that 
makes  the  successful  cast.  If  it  is  a  good  thought  and  a 
clear  one,  the  clauses  will  fly  into  place.  If  it  is  a  con- 
fused thought,  then  the  parts  of  the  sentence  tangle  and 
do  not  show  their  relations.  If  it  is  a  feeble  thought,  then 
the  sentence  sprawls  ineffectively,  or  "dies"  before  it  is 
really  finished. 

In  actual  writing,  it  is  the  thought  that  comes  first.  But 
let  us  study  the  kinds  of  sentences,  their  parts  and  relations, 
precisely  as  before  fly  fishing  one  would  examine  the  line 
and  its  flies.  An  intimate  knowledge  of  the  sentence  will 
make  your  composition  work  less  perplexing  for  you  and 
will  give  a  range  and  power  of  expression  that  will 
surprise  you.  It  is  not  true  that  if  you  take  care  of 
the  sentences,  the  paragraphs  will  take  care  of  themselves. 
But  it  is  true  that   the   boy   or    girl   who  masters    sen- 


HOW   TO  BE  CLEAR  139 

tences  is  much  more  than  half  way  on  the  road  to  clear 
English. 

A  sentence,  then,  is  a  thought  expressed  in  words.  The 
important  words  in  a  sentence  are  pictures  of  ideas.  These 
ideas  or  word  pictures  are  Unked  together  by  means  of  less 
important  words  called  connectives  and  relation  words, 
which  show  the  connections  and  the  relations  among  the 
ideas  of  a  sentence.  The  word  that  names  what  the  sentence 
is  about  is  called  the  subject,  although  sometimes  it  takes  a 
group  of  words,  as  in  a  noun  clause,  to  state  a  subject.  That 
part  of  the  sentence  that  says  something  about  the  subject 
is  called  the  predicate. 

Sentences  are  classified  in  three  general  divisions  accord- 
ing to  Purpose,  Grammatical  Form,  and  Arrangement. 

Under  Purpose  there  are  four  kinds,  — 

(1)  Declarative  :  a  sentence  that  makes  a  complete  state- 
ment, as,  —  Philadelphia  is  ninety  miles  from  New  York. 

(2)  Interrogative  :  a  sentence  that  asks  a  question,  as,  — 
How  far  is  New  Orleans  from  Winnipeg  ? 

(3)  Imperative :  a  sentence  that  commands,  entreats, 
directs,  or  forbids,  as,  —  Sit  down.  Close  the  door.  Leave 
him  alone. 

(4)  Exclamatory :  a  sentence  that  expresses  strong  feeling, 
as,  —  Where,  oh  where  has  he  gone!  Alas,  it  is  too  late! 
Hurrah,  we  won  the  game! 

An  exclamatory  sentence  may  be  declarative  or  interrogative 
or  imperative  in  form.  It  is  the  feeling  used  in  expressing  it 
that  makes  it  an  exclamatory  sentence  or  an  exclamation. 

There  are  four  kinds  of  sentences  considered  from  the 
point  of  view  of  Grammatical  Form,  — 

(1)  Simple :  a  sentence  that  contains  one  subject  and 
one  predicate,  as,  —  Alice  sews.  Either  of  these  parts,  or 
both,  may  be  compound,  as,  —  Alice  and  Mary  sew  and  knit. 


140  GOOD  ENGLISH 

(2)  Compound :  a  sentence  that  consists  of  two  or  more 
independent  subject  and  predicate  groups,  each  of  which 
may  stand  alone  as  a  simple  sentence,  as,  —  The  river 
flows  hut  the  cataract  leaps.  If  hut  were  omitted  from  this 
sentence,  each  part  could  stand  alone  as  a  separate  simple 
sentence.  Such  subject  and  predicate  groups  coming  within 
a  sentence  are  called  clauses.  If  they  are  independent,  that 
is,  if  they  make  complete  sense  when  standing  alone,  they 
are  called  independent  clauses.  If  they  do  not  make  com- 
plete sense  standing  alone,  they  are  called  dependent  clauses. 

(3)  Complex :  a  sentence  that  contains  one  independent 
subject  and  predicate  group  or  clause,  called  here  the  prin- 
cipal clause,  and  one  or  more  dependent  subject  and  predi- 
cate groups  or  clauses,  as,  —  When  war  was  declared,  many 
Americans  were  in  Europe.  The  clause  When  war  wa^ 
declared  does  not  make  complete  sense  if  separated  from  the 
rest  of  the  sentence.  It  is  therefore  the  dependent  clause, 
for  it  depends  upon  the  independent  clause  to  give  it  meaning. 

(4)  Compound-complex :  a  sentence  that  contains  two  or 
more  independent  clauses  and  one  or  more  dependent 
clauses,  as,  —  When  June  arrived,  work  ended  and  play 
hegan.  The  independent  clauses  are  work  ended,  play  hegan. 
When  June  arrived  is  a  dependent  clause  depending  (in  this 
instance)  upon  both  of  the  independent  clauses  for  its  meaning. 
Some  books  classify  a  sentence  of  this  kind  as  complex  and  thus 
have  but  three  kinds  of  sentences  under  the  second  division. 

There  are  three  kinds  of  sentences  from  the  point  of  view 
of  Arrangement,  — 

(1)  Loose :  a  sentence  that  is  so  loosely  put  together  that 
it  may  be  concluded  at  one  or  many  points  before  the  end 
is  reached,  as,  —  A  mocking-hird  is  called  Boh  just  as  a  goat 
is  called  Billy  or  Nan,  as  a  parrot  is  called  Poll,  a^  a  squirrel 
18  called  Bunny,  or  as  a  cat  is  called  Pussy  or  Tom. 


HOW   TO   BE   CLEAR 


141 


(2)  Periodic :  a  sentence  in  which  the  thought  is  not  com- 
pleted until  the  end.  It  will  not  make  complete  sense  if 
closed  before  the  end  is  reached,  thus,  —  Just  as  a  cat  is 
called  Pussy  or  Tom,  just  as  a  squirrel  is  called  Bunny,  just 
as  a  parrot  is  called  Poll,  just  as  a  goat  is  called  Billy  or  Nan, 
so  a  mocking-bird  is  called  Boh.  You  could  not  place  a 
period  where  these  commas  are,  for  the  part  so  marked  off 
would  not  make  complete  sense. 

(3)  Balanced :  a  sentence  whose  parts  match  or  balance 
one  another.  Subjects  and  predicates  may  balance,  or 
phrases  and  clauses,  thus,  —  Train  up  a  child  in  the  way  he 
should  go  and  when  he  is  old  he  will  not  depart  from  it.  Note 
also  the  following:  Had  you  rather  Caesar  were  living 
and  die  all  slaves,  than  that  Ccesar  were  dead,  to  live  all  free- 
men? 

It  must  be  remembered  that  the  terms  loose,  periodic,  and 
balanced  are  relative.  There  are  varying  degrees  of  loose- 
ness, of  periodicity,  and  of  balance.  Some  sentences  are 
more  loose,  more  periodic,  or  more  balanced  than  others. 

The  following  diagram  summarizes  the  sentence  classi- 
fication as  given  above :  — 


Sentences 


Purpose 

Grammatical 
Form 

Arrangement 


f  declarative 

interrogative 

imperative 
.  exclamatory 

simple 

compound 

complex 

compound-complex 

loose 

periodic 
,  parallel  or  balanced 


142  GOOD  ENGLISH 

There  should  be  little  difficulty  in  expressing  yourself  clearly 
in  a  variety  of  ways  in  view  of  the  fact  that  all  these  kinds 
of  sentences  are  at  your  command. 

PRACTICE 

1.  Select  sentences  of  different  kinds  from  the  stories  on  pages  32 

to  69. 

2.  Compose  sentences  of  different  kinds  on  some  topic  of  current 

interest  in  your  community,  or  on  the  following :  — 
Work  at  school  Entertainments         Friends 

Work  at  home  Athletics  Flowers 

Examinations  Books  Success 

Report  cards  Travel  Choosing  a  life  work 

3.  Compose  the  following  kinds  of  sentences  about  the  town  or 

city  in  which  you  live  :  — 

A  declarative  complex  periodic  sentence 
An  imperative  compound  loose  sentence 
A  simple  interrogative  sentence 
A  balanced  compound-complex  sentence  ~ 
An  exclamatory  complex  sentence 

4.  Write   a   brief   comparative   description   of   your  father  and 

mother  or  of  some  other  real  people.  Use  all  the  different 
kinds  of  sentences  in  it.  Begin  the  sentences  with  different 
words.  Make  use  of  transitional  words  and  phrases ;  that  is, 
words  or  phrases  that  serve  to  connect  the  thought  of  one 
sentence  with  that  of  another. 

5.  Classify  each  of  the  following  sentences  according  to. the  divi- 

sions pointed  out  in  this  chapter  :  — 

(1)  The  flag  of  the  United  States  consists  of  thirteen  stripes 

alternating  red  and  white,  and  a  blue  field  in  the  upper 
left-hand  corner,  set  with  forty-eight  white  stars. 

(2)  The  stripes  represent  the  original  thirteen  colonies  and  the 

stars  the  forty-eight  states  now  in  the  Union. 

(3)  The  resolution,  authorizing  the  making  of  the  flag,  was 

passed  by  Congress  on  June  14,  1777. 


HOW    TO   BE   CLEAR  143 

(4)  George  Washington  requested  Congress  to  appoint  a  com- 

mittee to  design  a  flag  by  means  of  which  American 
vessels  could  recognize  each  other. 

(5)  Mrs.  Betsy  Ross,  an  expert  needlewoman,  conducting  an 

upholstery  business  at  her  home,  239  Arch  Street,  Phila- 
delphia, was  visited  by  the  committee  and  requested 
to  make  a  flag  from  a  design  shown  her. 

(6)  She  suggested  to  Washington,  who  was  a  member  of  the 

committee,  that  he  redraw  it. 

(7)  "May  I  suggest  also,"  she  said,  "that  the  stars  be  made 

five-pointed?" 

(8)  Her  suggestions  were  well  received ;  the  flag  was  redrawn, 

and  Mrs.  Ross  made  the  first  Star  Spangled  Banner. 

(9)  The  flag  was  probably  first  carried  in  battle  at  Brandy- 

wine,  September  11,  1777. 

(10)  On  the  admission  of  Kentucky  and  Vermont  into  the 

Union  in  1794,  it  was  ordered  by  Congress  that  after 
May  1,  1795,  there  should  be  fifteen  stars  and  fifteen 
stripes  in  the  flag. 

(11)  Not  until  April  14,- 1818,  was  the  permanent  form  of  the 

flag  decided  upon. 

(12)  On  this  date  Congress  ordered  that  the  flag  should  contain 

thirteen  stripes  permanently,  and  that  there  should  be 
as  many  stars  in  the  blue  field  as  there  are  states  in  the 
Union,  the  addition  of  each  new  star  to  be  made  on  the 
Fourth  of  July  following  the  admission  of  the  new  state. 

(13)  There  are  now  forty-eight  stars  in  the  flag,  —  six  rows  of 

eight  stars  each. 

(14)  At  the  time  of  the  Revolution  there  were  13  stars  in 

the  flag ;  at  the  War  of  1812,  15  ;  at  the  Mexican  War, 
29 ;  at  the  Civil  War,  35 ;  at  the  Spanish  War,  45 ;  and 
at  the  World  War,  48. 

(15)  Speaking  of  the  flag,   Washington  said,  "We  take  the 

star  from  Heaven,  the  red  from  our  mother  country, 
separating  it  by  white  stripes,  thus  showing  that  we 
have  separated  from  her,  and  the  white  stripes  shall 
go  down  to  posterity  representing  liberty." 

6.   Write  a  short  conversation  between  two  i)eople  who  are  sup- 
posedly watching  the  game  illustrated  on  the  next  page. 


U1.KINO  A  QOXU 


HOW   TO  BE   CLEAR  145 

Use  as  many  of  the  different  kinds  of  sentences  enumerated 
on  page  141  as  you  can. 
7.   Add  independent  clauses  to  the  following  dependent  ones  so 
that  each  completed  sentence  will  be  periodic  :  — 

After  a  hard  day's  work  was  done 

When  the  tide  goes  out 

If  it  rains 

Where  he  went 


Since  the  bell  has  rung 

Although  he  failed 

Who  he  was 

Which  of  the  two  came 

Why  he  laughed 

How  it  is  made 

Add  dependent  clauses  to  the  following  independent  ones  so 
that  the  completed  sentences  will  be  complex :, — 
Take  your  hat  off  to  the  flag 


The  white  in  the  flag  means  purity 
The  blue  in  the  flag  means  truth  — 
The  red  in  the  flag  means  courage  - 


Every  school  should  have  a  flag  flying  over  it 

One  of  our  most  inspiring  hoHdays  is  flag  day 

The  flag  is  a  sacred  symbol 

The  history  of  our  flag  is  thrilling 

Never  forget  the  flag,  boys, 

9.   Construct  sentences  in  which  clauses,  phrases,  or  words  are 
balanced,  using  the  following  suggestions  :  — 
Black  and  white       Summer  and  winter       Atlantic  and  Pacific 
Strong  and  weak      On  and  off  North  and  south 

In  and  out  China  and  Japan  East  and  west 

LESSON   TWENTY  ONE 

Making  Sentences  Clear  —  Unity 

A  sentence  must  have  unity ;  that  is,  all  its  parts  must 
unite  to  form  a  single  thought.  If  a  sentence  contains  more 
ideas  than  should  be  squeezed  into  a  single  statement,  or  if 


146  GOOD  ENGLISH 

it  contains  ideas  unrelated  to  the  remainder  of  the  sentence, 
then  it  lacks  unity.  A  sentence  must  also  have  coherence, 
that  is,  its  parts  must  be  so  arranged  as  to  make  their 
relations,  and  the  meaning  of  the  whole,  clear.  A  sentence 
that  lacks  unity  will  often,  as  a  result,  lack  coherence  also. 
The  ideas  that  offend  against  unity  may  interfere  with  the 
coherence  of  the  thought. 

Cautions  1,  2,  and  3  below  belong  almost  exclusively  to 
the  study  of  unity.  Numbers  4,  5,  6,  and  7  apply  to  co- 
herence as  well  as  to  unity. 

1.  Do  not  put  too  much  in  a  sentence.  Cultivate  the  habit 
of  writing  brief,  concise  sentences  rather  than  long,  involved 
ones. 

The  game  was  held  at  the  park  and  on  the  way  to  it  we  sang  and 
whistled  popular  airs,  and  when  we  at  last  arrived  we  were  told 
that  we  were  an  hour  ahead  of  time. 

Such  a  sentence  as  this  is  sometimes  called  a  rambling 
sentence.  There  are  too  many  unrelated  ideas  contained  in  it. 
It  should  be  broken  up  into  three  sentences,  as  follows  :  — 

The  game  was  held  at  the  park.  On  the  way  we  sang  and  whistled 
popular  airs.  When  we  arrived  there  we  were  told  that  we  were 
an  hour  ahead  of  time.     (See  exercise  1  under  Practice,  page  149.) 

2.  On  the  other  hand,  do  not  put  too  little  in  your  sentences. 
A  series  of  extremely  short  sentences  may  be  perfectly 
correct  in  form,  but  if  each  represents  a  part  only  of  the 
sentence  thought,  the  series  should  be  combined  into  a 
whole. 

The  flag  has  thirteen  stripes.  The  flag  has  forty-eight  stars. 
The  stripes  stand  for  the  original  thirteen  colonies.  The  stars 
stand  for  the  present  forty-eight  states. 

These  fragments  should  be  combined  into  one  unified 
statement  as  follows :  — 


HOW   TO   BE   CLEAR  147 

The  flag  has  thirteen  stripes,  symboUzing  the  original  thirteen 
colonies,  and  forty-eight  stars,  symboUzing  the  forty-eight  states 
in  the  .Union.     (See  exercise  2  under  Practice,  page  150.) 

3.  Do  not  place  in  the  same  sentence  ideas  that  have  little  or 
no  relation  to  each  other. 

Alice  makes  good  cake  and  goes  to  school  regularly. 

The  two  ideas  contained  in  this  sentence  are  so  totally 
unrelated  as  to  seem  ridiculous  when  placed  together.  They 
are  two  separate  and  independent  thoughts  and  should 
not  be  related  in  sentence  construction.  (See  exercise  3, 
under  Practice,  page  151.) 

4.  Do  not  make  a  sentence  compound  in  form  when  one  or 
more  of  its  parts  are  clearly  dependent  in  meaning. 

Washington  is  the  capital  of  the  United  States  and  it  was  named 
for  our  first  President. 

This  sentence  lacks  unity  because  the  two  ideas  contained 
in  it  are  not  properly  related.  The  subordinate  idea  is  not 
made  subordinate.  Instead  of  being  a  compound  sentence, 
it  should  be  complex,  and  the  less  important  idea  should 
be  given  a  subordinate  place,  thus,  — 

Washington,  which  is  the  capital  of  the  United  States,  was  named 
for  our  first  President.     (See  exercise  4  under  Practice,  page  151.) 

5.  Keep  verbs  in  different  clauses  in  the  same  voice,  mood, 
and  tense. 

As  the  game  started  Bill  said  to  Jim,  "I  suppose  we  shall  be 
beaten." 
Not    As  the  game  started  Bill  says  to  Jim,  "I  suppose  we  shall  be 
beaten." 

If,  however,  two  different  periods  of  time  are  to  be  repre- 
sented by  the  verbs  in  a  sentence,  then  one  verb  may  be  in 
one  tense,  and  one  in  another,  — 


148  GOOD  ENGLISH 

He  told  us  that  Albany  is  the  capital  of  New  York.  (See  exercise 
5  under  Practice,  page  152.) 

6.  Keep  person,  number,  and  gender  uniform. 

On  entering  the  room  she  saw  a  picture  that  impressed  her 
as  being  weird. 
Not    On  entering  the  room  she  saw  a  picture  that  impressed  one 
as  being  weird. 

Every  one  said  he  was  going. 
Not    Every  one  said  they  were  going.    (See  exercise  6  under  Prac- 
tice, pages  152-153.) 

7.  Keep  the  parallel  parts  of  a  sentence  as  nearly  alike 
in  construction  as  possible.  This  is  chiefly  a  question  of 
thinking  out  your  grammar  correctly. 

The  new  teacher  was  kindly  received  by  the  pupils  and  was 
welcomed  with  special  exercises. 
Not    The  new  teacher  was  kindly  received  by  the  pupils  and  they 
welcomed  him  with  special  exercises. 

He  is  only  five  feet  in  height  but  he  tips  the  scales  at  two 
hundred  pounds. 
Not    He  is  only  five  feet  in  height  and  tipping  the  scales  at  two 
hundred  pounds. 

On  account  of  absence  and  illness  he  cannot  be  promoted. 
Not    On  account  of  his  absence  and  because  he  has  been  ill  he  can- 
not be  promoted. 

I  hate  solving  problems  in  algebra  and  performing  experi- 
ments in  biology. 
Not    I  hate  solving  problems  in  algebra  and  to  perform  experiments 
in  biology. 

His  good  qualities  are  honesty,  frankness,  generosity,  and 
kindness. 
Not    His  good  qualities  are  honesty,  frankness,  generous,  and  kind. 


HOW   TO  BE   CLEAR  149 

Baseball  is  wholesome  for  three  reasons :  it  is  played  in  the 
open ;  it  requires  mental  alertness ;  it  is  good  exercise. 

Or  Baseball  is  wholesome  for  three  reasons  :  first,  fresh  air ;  sec- 
ond, mental  alertness;  third,  good  exercise.  (See  exer- 
cises 7,  8,  9  under  Practice,  pages  153-154.) 

Not  Baseball  is  wholesome  for  three  reasons :  it  is  played  in  the 
open ;  for  the  mental  alertness  required ;  and  good  exercise. 


PRACTICE 

1.   The  following  sentences  are  overloaded.     Rewrite  them :  — 

(1)  At  last  lunch  was  ready  and  we  were  all  ready  for  it  but  while 
we  were  eating  a  storm  came  up  and  our  pretty  little 
lawn  party  was  disturbed. 

(2)  I  wrote  to  him  and  asked  him  to  arrange  a  date  but  his 

reply  said  they  refused  to  play  us  because  of  our  reckless 
playing  in  the  last  game. 

(3)  AUce  says  that  Mary  told  her  they  were  not  going  and  they 

are  going  to  Hampton  instead  but  I  think  we  shall  go 
anyhow  for  the  weather  is  fine. 

(4)  During  the  day  there  were  numerous  showers  and  then  in 

the  evening  the  stars  came  out  and  everything  was 
lovely  but  Mary  lost  her  jeweled  purse  and  every  one  was 
obliged  to  help  find  it. 

(5)  The  race  was  now  on  and  it  looked  as  if  John  would  win  for 

he  was  well  in  advance  of  the  others  but  going  round  a 
corner  Bill  forged  ahead  and  he  kept  first  place  to  the  end. 

(6)  Tennyson  was  born  in  1809  and  he  hved  in  England  all  his 

hfe  and  he  was  made  Poet  Laureate  in  1850  but  some  of 
his  greatest  work  had  been  done  before  that  date. 

(7)  They  arrived  at  Cape  Honduras  which  is  the  most  northern 

point  of  Honduras,  on  June  25,  on  their  way  to  visit 
this  interesting  republic  of  Central  America  which  covers 
46,250  square  miles. 

(8)  Washington  Augustus  Roebling  was  an  American  engineer 

who  was  born  in  1806  and  died  in  1869,  and  who  built 
the  great  Brooklyn  bridge,  the  first  bridge  to  unite 
Brooklyn  with  Manhattan. 


150  GOOD  ENGLISH 

(9)  Casimir  Pulaski  was  born  in  1748  and  died  in  1789,  served 
as  a  Polish  soldier  and  as  a  general  in  the  American 
Revolution,  and  he  w^as  killed  at  the  siege  of  Savannah. 
(10)  Speaking  of  heroes,  I  said  that  Sir  Roderick  is  the  greatest 
hero  I  ever  read  of  but  sister  said,  "No,  you  are  wrong : 
he  was  not  a  hero  but  an  adventurer,  and  anyway  Wallace 
is  the  greatest  hero  that  ever  was." 

2.    Combine  the  short  sentences  in  each  of  the  following  groups  into 
a  single  sentence  or  two  :  — 

(1)  Barley  is  a  grain.     It  is  somewhat  hke  buckwheat.     It  is 

used  as  food.     It  is  used  to  make  malt. 

(2)  Buckwheat  is  a  plant.     Its  blossoms  are  white.     It  grows 

in  poor  soil.  Its  seeds  are  queer  looking  things.  They 
are  black.  They  are  triangular.  Flour  is  made  from 
them. 

(3)  Oats  is  harvested  in  August.     It  is  an  edible  grain.     Oat- 

meal is  made  from  oats,  tlorses  love  oats.  The  word 
oats  is  plural  in  form  but  singular  in  construction. 

(4)  Wheat  is  the  most  valuable  grain  there  is.     The  ear  or 

head  is  a  flowered  spikelet.  The  grain  is  hammered  out 
by  machinery.  Flour  is  made  from  the  grains.  Wheat 
is  used  also  for  making  cereals. 

(5)  Rye  is  a  grain.     It  is  very  much  like  wheat.     In  the  field 

it  is  taller  than  wheat.  The  rye  grain  is  larger  and 
sharper  than  the  wheat  grain.    Whisky  is  made  from  rye. 

(6)  Wheat,  rye,  barley,  oats  are  called  corn  in  England.     In 

America  Indian  maize  is  called  corn.  It  grows  to  a 
height  of  seven  to  ten  feet.  The  grain  grows  in  clusters 
called  ears.  They  are  yellow  and  hard.  The  central 
part  of  the  ear  is  the  cob.  Horses  love  corn.  A  variety 
called  sweet  corn  is  eaten  by  men. 

(7)  Grass  is  a  common  green  plant.     It  has  hollow  stems.     Its 

stems  are  sometimes  jointed.  Its  leaves  are  long  and 
narrow.  Its  leaves  are  spire-shaped.  It  grows  in  all 
countries.     It  requires  much  moisture. 

(8)  Clover  blossoms  in  both  red  and  white.     There  are  several 

species  of  clover.  Clover  belongs  to  the  bean  family. 
It  is  a  three-leaved  plant.  It  is  the  best  pasture  for 
cattle. 


HOW   TO  BE   CLEAR  151 

(9)  Timothy  is  a  grass.  It  is  used  for  hay.  It  is  a  winter 
fodder  for  cattle.  It  has  a  long,  serrated  head.  It  takes 
its  name  from  Timothy  Hanson.  He  introduced  the 
seed  about  1720. 
(10)  Alfalfa  is  a  clover-like  plant.  It  grows  in  Europe.  It 
grows  in  the  United  States.  It  belongs  to  the  bean  fam- 
ily.    It  is  the  best  kind  of  fodder  for  cows. 

3.  The  ideas  in  each  of  the  following  sentences  have  little  or  no 

relation  to  each  other.     Point  out  the  lack  of  harmony  in  each 
one  and  rewrite  correctly :  — 

(1)  China  has  a  population  of  407,253,030  people  and  most  of 

our  camphor  comes  from  there. 

(2)  Silk  is  the  leading  export  of  Japan,  although  the  country 

covers  260,000  square  miles. 

(3)  Java  belongs  to  the  Dutch  but  we  get  much  coffee  from 

there. 

(4)  In  Rangoon,  the  capital  of  Burma,  there  is  a  large  EngHsh 

high  school  for  boys  and  the  country  belongs  to  Great 
Britain. 

(5)  Tea  is  the  chief  export  of  Ceylon  and  the  island  has  a  de- 

lightful climate. 

(6)  The  antiquity  of  Egypt  is  fascinating  in  interest  though  the 

country  is  now  a  British  province. 

(7)  The  waters  of  the  Mediterranean  are  sky-blue  and  the 

vessels  that  voyage  through  it  to  the  west  are  laden  with 
precious  cargoes  from  the  east. 

(8)  Adelaide   is  one   of   the  most   beautiful   cities   in   South 

Australia  and  there  is  a  large  teachers'  college  located 
there. 

(9)  The  population  of  Sydney,  AustraHa,  is  725,000  and  when 

it  is  winter  in  New  York  it  is  summer  there. 
(10)  Hobart  is  the  capital  of  Tasmania  and  when  I  was  there 
ten  years  ago  I  was  ill  for  two  weeks. 

4.  In  the  following  sentences  the  principal  thoughts  do  not  stand 

out  prominently  because  the  subordinate  thoughts  are  not 
made  dependent.     Rewrite  them  correctly  :  — 
(1)  America  is  the  richest  country  in  the  world  and  has  been 
called  the  Western  El  Dorado.  ^ 


152  GOOD  ENGLISH 

(2)  The  first  act  is  explanatory  and  shows  the  relations  existing 

between  the  two  classes  of  people. 

(3)  Sohrab  was  a  spirited  fighter  and  he  was  determined  to  find 

his  heroic  father. 

(4)  Philadelphia  is  called  the  Quaker  City  and  it  is  the  home 

of  many  Quaker  families  even  today. 

(5)  It  was  a  beautiful  picture  of  a  farmhouse  and  I  bought  it 

for  my  mother. 

(6)  The  three  sat  up  in  the  lighthouse  towers  and  they  watched 

for  their  loved  ones  at  sea. 

(7)  It  was  a  wide  stream  and  it  flowed  rapidly  and  there  was  a 

picturesque  old  bridge  over  it. 

(8)  New  Haven  is  the  largest  city  in  Connecticut  and  Yale 

University  is  located  there. 

(9)  Antonio  was  a  rich  merchant  and  he  borrowed  money  from 

Shylock. 
(10)  James  was  a  good  king  and  he  mingled  with  his  people 
freely. 

5.  Rewrite  the  following  sentences  making  the  verbs  agree  in  mood 

or  voice  or  tense,  or  in  all  three :  — 

(1)  Every  once  in  a  while  he  would  reenter  and  was  greeted 

by  the  same  reception. 

(2)  If  he  is  accepted,  he  would  be  very  happy. 

(3)  As  they  were  sailing  along,  suddenly  the  wind  rises  and  the 

boat  was  turned  upside  down. 

(4)  He  was  struck  on  reaching  the  top  of  the  hill  by  the  view 

that  lies  before  him. 

(5)  He  fears  he  might  be  hurt  if  he  ventured  too  far  afield. 

(6)  The  war  concerned  us  all,  especially  those  who  have  large 

fortunes. 

(7)  No  sooner  had  we  arrived  than  John  begins  to  feel  ill. 

(8)  "Well,  if  it  isn't  you!"    she  cried,  and  then  they  run  off 

together  to  talk. 

(9)  If  the  suffix  began  with  a  vowel,  the  final  consonant  is 

doubled. 
(10)  I  would  go  if  I  had  known  in  time. 

6.  Rewrite  the  following  sentences,  making  corrections  in  person, 

number,  and  gender  as  required :  — 


HOW   TO  BE   CLEAR  153 

(1)  Each  fellow  has  a  chance  if  they  make  an  application. 

(2)  The  crowd  chases  the  thief  until  he  was  out  of  sight  and 

then  he  in  wait  for  him  to  reappear. 

(3)  He  saw  the  snake  as  it  coiled  around  the  post  and  then 

leveled  his  gun  and  fired  at  him. 

(4)  If    one    does    not    care    for    jewelry,    why    should    you 

wear  it  ? 

(5)  Miss  Doan  accepts  Mrs.  Smith's  kind  invitation  to  dinner 

on  June  20,  at  seven  o'clock.     Yours  truly. 

(6)  School  gives  every  boy  an  opportunity  to  make  a  man 

of  yourself  and  to  see  what  is  best  for  him  in  the 
world. 

(7)  When  a  girl  is   going  to  school   she  should   accompany 

her  school  work  with  a  certain  amount  of  work  in 
the  home,  so  that  when  they  are  grown  up  they 
may  make  good  housekeepers  as  well  as  intelligent 
citizens. 

(8)  The  committee  decide  that  it  is  not  responsible  for  the  con- 

dition of  the  room  after  school  hours. 

(9)  Every  report  is  recorded  in  the  ofi&ce  and  they  blandly 

stare  a  pupil  in  the  face  when  they  come  up  for  gradua- 
tion. 
(10)  Miss  Everett  regrets  extremely  that  she  cannot  accept  Miss 
Brown's  kind  invitation  owing  to  the  fact  that  I  have 
another  engagement.     Cordially  yours. 

7.    Rewrite  each  of  the  following  sentences  so  that  the  subjects  of 
the  clauses  will  be  more  nearly  parallel  in  construction :  — 

(1)  They  accepted  the  invitation  and  a  warm  reception  was  given 

them. 

(2)  I  shall  appreciate  it  if  you  will  send  me  a  check  or  the  money 

may  be  left  with  my  clerk. 

(3)  I  heard  an  alarm  and  rushed  to  the  window  and  the  ambu- 

lance was  just  going  past. 

(4)  I  met  the  man  at  the  entrance  and  he  showed  me  over  the 

building. 

(5)  They  accepted  my  gift  most  graciously  and  today  I  received 

a  note  of  appreciation  from  them. 

(6)  They  arrived  in  Venice  at  sunset  and  the  lagoons  were 

resplendent  with  color  and  gaiety. 


154  GOOD  ENGLISH 

(7)  Running  is  good  exercise  but  which  must  not  be  overdone 
by  any  fellow. 

8.  In  the  following  sentences  participial  and  infinitive  phrases  are 

not  made  properly  parallel  in  construction.    Correct  them  :  — 

(1)  He  likes  swimming  or  to  splash  about  in  the  pool. 

(2)  Studying  soUdly  for  five  hours  or  to  listen  closely  for  that 

length  of  time,  is  an  exhausting  task. 

(3)  Leaving  the  bridge  at  the  lower  end  they  began  entering  the 

estate  and  to  marvel  at  its  beauties. 

(4)  Hurrying  is  not  the  same  as  to  make  haste. 

(5)  I  hate  to  be  caught  in  the  rain  and  running  for  shelter. 

(6)  He  never  thought  of  carrying  her  bundles  of  to  carry  her 

umbrella. 

(7)  To  listen  to  music  inteUigently  is  more  difficult  than  hearing 

speech  understandingly. 

(8)  Being,  or  not  to  be,  —  that  is  the  question. 

(9)  To  shout,  to  whistle,  behaving  boisterously  in  any  way,  is 

not  proper  indoors. 

9.  There  are  certain  terms  in  each  of  the  following  sentences  that 

should  be  similar  or  parallel  in  form.      Rewrite  the  sentences, 
making  them  so  :  — 

(1)  He  has  had  the  honor  of  holding  the  office  of  mayor,  the 

governorship,  and  president. 

(2)  We  supply  travel  information,  railway  tickets,  and  also  at- 

tend to  your  luggage. 

(3)  Mary's   best   traits   are    kindness,  sweetness,  honest,  and 

good. 

(4)  You  will  never  be  sorry  that  you  bought  this  suit,  for  it  is 

excellent  quality,  wears  well,  and  stylish. 

(5)  He  won  the  medal  because  he  is  clever,  his  record  is  a  good 

one,  and  in  efficient  competition. 

(6)  He  has  traveled  in  England,  all  over  France,  and  he  has  been 

in  Africa. 

(7)  These  things  are  positively  essential  for  graduation,  —  you 

must  work  hard,  deny  yourself  certain  pleasures,  good 
attendance. 

(8)  Tell  who  wrote  the  story,  why,  at  what  time  it  appeared, 

your  opinion. 


HOW   TO  BE   CLEAR  155 

LESSON   TWENTY  TWO 
Making  Sentences  Clear  —  Coherence 

Read  again  the  first  part  of  Lesson  Twenty  One  and  be 
sure  that  you  understand  the  meaning  of  unity  and  co- 
herence as  apphed  to  sentences.  Study  the  five  cautions 
below  regarding  coherence.  Numbers  1  and  2  belong  almost 
exclusively  to  coherence.  Numbers  3,  4,  and  5  have  to  do 
with  both  coherence  and  unity. 

1.  Be  sure  that  word,  phrase,  and  clause  modifiers  stand  as 
close  as  possible  to  the  words,  phrases,  and  clauses  they  modify. 
This  is  a  most  important  rule  in  English  expression  and  it 
is  one  that  is  often  violated. 

Here  is  a  sentence  showing  the  wrong  placement  of  a  word 

modifier,  — 

I  only  have  three  apples. 

Only  does  not  modify  have.     It  modifies  three  and  should  be 
placed  as  near  as  possible  to  it,  thus,  — 

I  have  only  three  apples. 

Here  is  a  sentence  showing  the  wrong  placement  of  a 
phrase,  — 

The  manager  returned  home  after  a  hard  fought  game  with  his 
team. 

With  his  team  modifies  returned  not  game.    The  sentence 
should  read  as  follows  :  — 

The  manager  returned  home  with  his  team  after  a  hard  fought  game. 

Here  is  a  sentence  showing  the  wrong  placement  of  a 
clause,  — 

The  monument  of  Henry  "v  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  in  West- 
minster Abbey,  who  died  in  11^22. 


156  GOOD  ENGLISH 

The  clause  in  italics  modifies  Henry  V  and  should,  of  course, 
be  placed  as  near  as  possible  to  the  name,  as,  — 

The  monument  of  Henry  V,  who  died  in  1422,  is  one  of  the  most 
interesting  in  the  Abbey. 

(See  exercise  1  under  Practice,  page  160.) 

2.  Be  sure  that  the  antecedent  of  every  pronoun  you  use  is 
clearly  and  easily  found.  Both  personal  and  relative  pro- 
nouns are  often  confused  in  reference,  even  by  good  writers. 
It  and  he  are  particularly  troublesome. 

The  antecedent  of  he,  for  instance,  in  this  sentence  is  in 
doubt,  — 

Before  the  sailor  could  reach  his  soa  he  drowned. 

It  should  read,  — 

Before  the  sailor  could  reach  his  son  the  boy  drowned, 
or 

Before  the  sailor  could  reach  his  son,  the  sailor  drowned, 

according  to  the  meaning  intended. 

The  pronouns  it  and  they  are,  however,  frequently  used 
without  any  definite  antecedent,  although  their  meaning  is 
perfectly  clear.  They  are  sometimes  called  idiomatic  pro- 
nouns because  custom  has  made  their  use  in  this  way  an 
idiom,  and  therefore  allowable ;  for  example,  —  It  rains. 
It  snows.  They  say  it  is  going  to  rain.  They  play  hall  on  that 
field. 

The  relative  pronouns  which  and  that  are  frequently  used 
to  refer  to  a  group  of  words  or  to  a  clause.  Careful  writers, 
however,  will  make  them  refer  to  one  definite  word  in  a  sen- 
tence.    Thus  in,  — 

They  upset  in  the  snow  which  was  most  unexpected, 

which  refers  to  the  clause  preceaii^g  it.     Indeed,  it  refers 
principally  to  the  action  indicated  in  that  clause,  or  to  the 


HOW   TO  BE   CLEAR  157 

action  word.  Pronouns  should  refer  to  nouns  or  pronouns, 
never  to  verbs.  In  nearly  all  cases  where  this  construction 
occurs,  the  which  or  that  clause  can  be  combined  with  the 
principal  clause  to  make  a  simpler  statement  of  the  whole 
sentence,  as,  — 

They  upset  unexpectedly  in  the  snow. 

(See  exercise  2  under  Practice,  page  161.) 

3.  Be  sure  that  the  conjunctions  and,  but,  therefore,  as, 
either  —  or,  neither  —  nor  are  used  in  sentences  for  the  re- 
lationship that  their  meanings  indicate. 

And  is  an  additive  conjunction.  It  means  addition. 
Other  connecting  words  that  may  be  used  with  or  in  place 
of  it  are  also,  likewise,  moreover,  similarly,  furthermore,  too, 
more  than  this,  again.  When  any  of  these  words  are  used, 
therefore,  either  separately  or  in  groups,  they  should  be 
used  in  such  a  way  as  to  imply  addition.  The  following 
sentence  illustrates  this  :  — 

He  received  90  in  English  and  100  in  algebra ;  his  marks  in  other 
subjects  were  likewise  high. 

But  is  an  adversative  conjunction.  It  means  on  the  other 
hand,  on  the  contrary,  yet,  still,  however,  nevertheless,  at  the 
some  time,  and  should  be  used  with  or  in  place  of  these 
words,  thus,  — 

Bill  is  not  a  good  student,  but  he  made  a  good  showing, 
or 

Bill  is  not  a  good  student,  still  he  made  a  good  showing. 

It  would  be  absurd  to  use  and  or  any  one  of  its  equivalents 
to  show  the  connection  here,  as,  — 

Bill  is  not  a  good  student  and  he  made  a  good  showing. 

Therefore  means  for  that  reason.  Words  that  mean  about 
the  same  as  therefore  and  that  may  oftentimes  be  used  with 


158  GOOD   ENGLISH 

it  or  for  it,  are  so,  thus,  hence,  consequently,  as  a  result,  ac- 
cordingly. Note  how  many  of  these  words  may  be  used  in 
the  following  sentence  :  — 

Thej^  decided  to  play  the  game  rain  or  shine;   therefore  (accord- 
ingly, hence,  consequently,  so)  the  tickets  were  placed  on  sale. 

As,  used  as  a  connective,  expresses  degree  or  manner.  The 
following  sentences  illustrate  these  usages :  — 

He  plays  as  well  as  I. 
Do  as  you  like. 

Used  with  so,  as  may  indicate  result,  as  in,  —  Be  so  good 
as  to  come.  As  should  not  be  used  in  place  of  that.  I  don't 
know  as  he  can  is  wrong. 

Either  —  or,  neither  —  nor,  not  only  —  hut  also,  though  — 
yet,  whether — or,  as — as,  or  so — as,  (so  is  used  with  as  in 
negative  statements),  both  —  and,  are  called  correlative  con- 
junctions. This  means  that  they  correspond  and  are  ordi- 
narily used  together.  But  great  care  must  be  exercised  in 
getting  them  in  the  proper  positions  in  sentences,  that  is,  as 
near  as  possible  to  the  words,  phrases,  or  clauses  that  they 
connect.     The  following  sentences  are  incorrect :  — 

I  neither  like  him  nor  his  father. 

He  not  only  asked  him  to  go  but  also  to  take  his  luggage  with  him. 

Here  they  are  corrected,  — 

I  like  neither  him  nor  his  father. 

He  asked  him  not  only  to  go  but  also  to  take  his  luggage  with  him. 

(See  exercises  3  and  4  under  Practice,  pages  162  to  163.) 

4.  Be  sure  that  there  is  a  correct  subject  for  participles  and 
infinitives  to  modify  or  refer  to.     In  the  sentence,  — 

Wheeling  to  the  right  a  good  view  of  the  ruin  could  be  had, 


HOW   TO   BE   CLEAR  159 

wheeling  is  called  a  dangling  participle.  There  is  no  word 
in  the  sentence  for  it  to  modify.  The  sentence  should  be 
rewritten  as  follows  :  — 

Wheeling  to  the  right  we  had  a  good  view  of  the  ruin. 

Similarly  in  the  following  sentence  :  — 

To  be  thoroughly  prepared  for  the  lesson  a  good  outhne  of  it 
must  be  made, 

the  infinitive  to  be  prepared  seems  to  refer  to  outline.  This 
is  absurd  of  course.     The  sentence  should  read,  — 

To  be  thoroughly  prepared  for   the   lesson  you   must   make   a 
good  outline  of  it. 

(See  exercise  5  under  Practice,  page  163.) 

5.  Be  careful  not  to  omit  necessary  words  from  your  sen- 
tences. Omissions  are  frequently  made  in  both  speech  and 
writing,  and  this  is  permissible  when  the  meaning  is  clear. 
The  omission  of  that,  for  instance,  in  He  said  he  would  go 
does  not  make  the  sentence  at  all  vague  or  incoherent.  But 
the  omission  of  words  in  such  constructions  as  the  following 
is  serious :  — 

(1)  Today^s  lesson  is  as  easy,  if  not  easier,  than  yesterday^ s. 
The  comparative  easier  is  quite  properly  followed  by  than. 
But  as  easy  or  so  easy  must  always  be  followed  by  as,  for 
as  —  as  and  so  —  as  are  correlatives.  Thus  the  corrected 
sentence  should  read,  — 

Today's  lesson  is  as  easy  as,  if  not  easier  than,  yesterday's, 
or 

Today's  lesson  is  as  easy  as  yesterday's,  if  not  easier. 

The  word  than  will  be  readily  understood  at  the  end. 

(2)  Her  explanation  was  clearer  than  the  other  teacher  we  had. 
The  intention  is  not  to  make  the  comparison  between  her 


160  GOOD  ENGLISH 

explanation  and  other  teacher ,  but  between  her  explanation 
and  the  explanation  made  by  the  other  teacher.  The  sentence 
should  read,  — 

Her  explanation  was  clearer  than  that  made  by  the  other  teacher 
we  had. 

(3)  /  like  Scott  better  than  any  author  I  have  read.  The  word 
other  should  always  be  used  with  any  in  statements  of  com- 
parison such  as  this.  Used  without  other,  any  includes 
Scott,  of  course,  and  thus  gives  the  sentence  a  contradictory 
meaning. 

I  like  Scott  better  than  any  other  author  I  have  read, 
is  correct. 

These  indicate  some  of  the  omissions  that  are  made  in 
everyday  speech  and  writing.  It  would,  of  course,  be  im- 
possible to  mention  here  all  omissions  that  cause  incoherence, 
for  individuals  are  hkely  to  have  "pet  omissions."  But  a 
careful  study  of  those  given  here  and  in  exercise  6  (pages 
163  to  164)  of  the  Practice  will  be  of  great  benefit  to  you. 

PRACTICE 

1.  Word,  phrase,  or  clause  modifiers  are  out  of  place  in  the  following 
sentences.  Rewrite  them,  placing  the  modifiers  as  near  as 
possible  to  the  words  modified  :  — 

(1)  Compositions  should  be  only  written  on  one  side  of  the 

paper. 

(2)  He  was  detained  after  school  for  missing  his  lesson  almost  an 

hour. 

(3)  They  thought  that  he  would  make  a  home  run  several  times 

before  the  game  was  over. 

(4)  I  am  only  afraid  in  the  dark. 

(5)  The  teacher  was  hit  in  the  third  inning. 

(6)  He  had  only  recited  one  minute  when  the  bell  rang. 

(7)  It  was  dark  and  dangerous  but  Tom  started  out  to  meet 

the  outlaw  with  a  club- 


HOW   TO  BE   CLEAR  161 

(8)  All  is  not  gold  that  glitters. 

(9)  The    tent   was    raised    by   men    on    long    sharp-pointed 

poles. 

(10)  Take  two  of  the  pills  on  retiring  in  a  wineglassful  of  cold 

water. 

(11)  They  erected  a  building  large  enough  to  accommodate  one 

thousand  business  men  twelve  stories  high. 

(12)  John  did  his  lesson  while  going  to  school  this  morning  on  a 

piece  of  Mary's  paper. 

(13)  I  cannot  see  why  address  is  not  a  noun  but  I  was  told  that 

it  is  a  verb  yesterday. 

(14)  For  Rent :  Neat  ballroom  by  tidy  modern  lady  with  elec- 

tric Ughts. 

(15)  Wanted :  Board  and  room  by  bachelor  with  steam  heat  and 

electricity. 

The  following  sentences  are  incoherent  because  the  antecedents 
of  the  pronouns  are  not  clear.     Rewrite  them  coherently :  — 

(1)  He  looked  everywhere  for  him  and  had  no  doubts  as  to 

what  he  would  do  when  he  was  found. 

(2)  While  Billy  Jones  was  playing  with  his  dog  one  day  last 

week  he  got  angry  and  bit  him  and  at  present  writing  he 
is  seriously  ill. 

(3)  Fannie's  mother  died  when  she  was  twenty  five  and  she 

has  never  forgotten  her. 

(4)  I  hope  to  be  present  which  will  give  me  much  pleasure. 

(5)  Mary  and  James  work  in  the  shops  during  Christmas  week 

because  they  are  in  need  of  help. 

(6)  He  was  an  excellent  swimmer  and  runner  and  he  accom- 

plished this  by  constant  practice. 

(7)  Tom's  colt  died  when  he  was  but  five  years  old. 

(8)  The  baby  fell  down  stairs  which  hurt  him  very  much. 

(9)  The  firemen  slide  down  a  pole  when  the  signal  is  given  to 

the  engine  floor  which  connects  with  the  second  floor  in 
one  corner. 

(10)  They  gave  my  sister  passes  who  thanked  them  for  them. 

(11)  We  sat  before  the  fire  telUng  stories  which  was  the  most 

cheerful  place  in  the  house. 

(12)  They  took  off  their  hats  and  threw  them  aside  and  for  the 

rest  of  the  day  they  were  happy. 

M 


162  GOOD  ENGLISH 

(13)  I  received  your  kind  invitation  to  attend  your  party  which 

it  gives  me  much  pleasure  to  accept  with  thanks. 

(14)  Typhoid  is  sometimes  caused  by  drinking  water  at  the  time 

of  a  flood  unless  it  is  boiled. 

(15)  It  looked  hke  snow  this  morning  which  led  John  to  get  his 

sled  ready  for  some  winter  sport. 

3.  Insert  and,  but,  thus,  hence,  moreover,  therefore,  or  hke  connectives 

in  the  sentences  below.     Explain  each  insertion  :  — 

(1)  They  guaranteed  gate  receipts the  best  position  on  the 

field ;   they  agreed  to  play  us  annually  hereafter. 

(2)  He  failed  of  graduation he  had  made  an  excellent  show- 

ing in  all  subjects  except  one. 

(3)  He  tried  private  school  awhile ;  he went  to  high  school ; 

he  had  private  tutors. 

(4)  The  oppression  became  unendurable;    the  President 

declared  war  and prices  soared. 

(5)  It  was  a  difficult  task he  was  not  well ;    he  was 

extremely  busy  with  other  things. 

(6)  You  are  not  to  be  blamed  you  should  be  cheerful ; 

you  know  best  how  you  feel. 

(7)  On  their  arrival  they  found  their  father mother  ill ; 

they  planned  to  remain  for  several  days. 

(8)  **  Any  "  means  one ;  it  is singular  number ;  "Any- 

one is  at  liberty  to  go"  is  correct. 

(9)  Grant  was  a  great  leader he  struggled  against  great 

disadvantages, in  spite  of  these  he  immortalized  his 

name  in  the  cause  of  his  country. 
(10)  Friendly  relations  were  discontinued;    war  was  de- 
clared ;   actual  fighting  was  begun. 

4.  Insert  as  —  as,  so  —  as,  neither  —  nor,  either  —  or,  whether — or, 

though — yet,  or  not  only  —  hut  also  in  the  sentences  below. 
Give  reason  for  each  insertion  made  :  — 

(1)  He  threw  the  ball far I. 

(2)  He  does  not  look well he  did. 

(3)  the  war  will  end  tliis  year next  is  difficult  to  say. 

(4)  Mary Alice  knows  her  lesson. 

(5)  he  has  returned  sorely  wounded the  doctor  says 

he  will  recover. 


HOW   TO  BE   CLEAR  163 

(6)  I  believe in  the  public  school  system  of  the  United 

States, in  education,  as  the  corrective  for  all 

social  ills. 

(7)  he  did  not  stand high his  brother, his 

marks  were  the  best  he  had  ever  received. 

(8)  one the  other  is  certain  to  take  the  prize  but 

it  will  be  Jim Joe  is  a  question. 

(9) did  he  go  to  war  himself he made  five 

of  his  sons  go. 
(10)  far I  can  see  there  is  clear  blue  sky. 

5.  In  the  following  sentences  it  is  not  clear  on  first  reading  what  the 

infinitives  and  participles  modify.  Rewrite  the  sentences, 
making  their  construction  clear  in  each  case  :  — 

(1)  The  button  should  be  sewed  on  with  fine  silk,  using  care 

to  have  the  stitches  even. 

(2)  StrolUng  through  the  woods  last  night,  locusts  could  be 

heard  here  and  there. 

(3)  Answering  all  the  questions  correctly,  the  marks  given  him 

were  good. 

(4)  Turning  to  the  right,  a  beautiful  vista  greeted  our  eyes. 

(5)  Whether  to  run  or  to  walk  slowly  by,  the  boy  hesitated  for 

a  time. 

(6)  To  be  fully  understood,  he  must  study  the  subject  for  many 

hours. 

(7)  The  utensils  were  brought  back,  having  decided  not  to  make 

candy  after  all. 

(8)  To  be  thoroughly  equipped  for  the  trip,  a  package  of  goodies 

must  be  included  in  your  luggage. 

6.  Supply  the  omitted  words  or  phrases  in  each  of  the  following 

sentences.  May  some  of  them  stand  as  they  are  and  be 
perfectly  clear  without  supplying  omitted  parts?  Which 
ones? 

(1)  Let  me  know  where  to  send  the  books  when  ready. 

(2)  Remember,  absolute  quiet. 

(3)  I  like  English  better  than  any  study  I  have. 

(4)  He  never  has  and  he  never  will  pass. 

(5)  Very  well,  sir,  as  you  say. 

(6)  She  sings  as  well,  if  not  better,  than  Clara. 


164  GOOD  ENGLISH 

(7)  His  work  was  more  satisfactory  than  any  other  boy's  I  ever 

taught. 

(8)  They  trusted  their  housekeeper  who  had  been  doing  it  for 

thirty  years. 

(9)  If  you  find  the  book  before  the  summer  is  over,  please  re- 

turn. 

(10)  If  the  wool  in  your  new  underwear  pricks  you,  turn  inside 

out. 

(11)  Gone  but  not  forgotten. 

(12)  School  work  is  more  important  to  the  individual  than  so- 

ciety. 

(13)  We  had  the  greatest  difficulty  driving  the  car  from  the  rear 

seat. 

(14)  Newspapers  are  often  read  while  waiting  for  a  train. 

(15)  Stir  it  until  it  is  thick  and  then  turn  over. 

(16)  Whatever  he  will  or  has  done  makes  no  difference  to  me. 

(17)  He  described  the  various  countries  visited. 

(18)  I  promised  I  wouldn't  tell  but  I  am. 

7.  Compose  sentences  to  illustrate  the  proper  use  of  the  connectives 

and,  but,  thus,  therefore,  as,  either,  though,  and  their  related  words. 

8.  Examine  each  of  the  following  sentences,  asking  yourself  these 

questions :  — 
Is  it  declarative,  interrogative,  imperative,  or  exclamatory  ? 
Is  it  simple,  compound,  complex,  or  compound-complex  ? 
Is  it  loose,  periodic,  or  balanced? 
Does  it  meet  the  requirements  of  unity  and  coherence  ? 

(1)  The  flag  should  not  be  hoisted  before  sunrise  and  it  should 

be  lowered  at  sunset. 

(2)  In  wartime,  however,  the  flag  may  be  kept  flying  all  night, 

although  army  posts  do  not  fly  the  flag  at  night  except 
when  a  battle  is  in  progress. 

(3)  The  flag  is  placed  at  half  mast  as  a  sign  of  mourning. 

(4)  The  proper  method  of  half-masting  the  flag  is  to  raise  it  to 

the  top  of  the  staff  and  then  lower  it. 

(5)  At  the  conclusion  of  funeral  ceremonies  the  half-masted 

flag  is  raised  to  full  staff,  unless  a  longer  period  of  mourn- 
ing has  been  ordered. 

(6)  If  the  flag  is  displayed  with  the  stripes  running  horizontally 

the  stars  should  be  in  the  upper  left-hand  corner;    if. 


HOW   TO  BE   CLEAR  165 

however,  it  is  hung  with  the  stripes  running  up  and  down, 
the  stars  should  be  in  the  upper  right-hand  corner. 

(7)  When  the  flag  is  draped  upon  a  coffin,  the  stars  should  be 

at  the  head. 

(8)  When  the  flag  is  passed  in  parade,  men  should  halt  if  walk- 

ing, or  rise  if  sitting,  stand  at  attention,  and  uncover. 

(9)  The  American  flag  is  older  than  the  present  British  Union 

Jack,  the  French  Tricolor,  and  the  flags  of  Spain,  Ger- 
many, and  Italy. 
(10)  The  young  American's  pledge  to  the  flag  is,  "I  pledge  alle- 
giance to  my  flag  and  to  the  repubUc  for  which  it  stands, 
—  one  nation  indivisible,  with  Uberty  and  justice  for  all.'! 

9.   Write  three  sentences,  each  of  thirty  words  or  more.    Read  them 
to  the  class  for  criticism  of  sentence  structure. 


LESSON  TWENTY  THREE 

Explanation 

The  real  test  of  the  power  to  be  clear  comes  when  you  try 
to  explain  a  process  or  a  thing  or  a  situation  or  anything 
that  must  be  explained  in  order  to  be  understood.  Exposi- 
tion, as  the  rhetorics  call  it,  lies  behind  most  attempts  at 
clearness,  whether  in  letters,  stories,  or  essays.  If  you  can 
conduct  a  clear,  logical  explanation  of  a  difficult  subject  or 
action  or  thought,  you  have  gained  a  power  that  no  one  can 
take  away  from  you,  and  that  will  be  useful  in  a  hundred 
ways.  There  is  nothing  mechanical  about  learning  to  ex- 
plain. You  cannot  "cram  up"  on  it;  you  cannot  learn  a 
few  rules  and  let  it  go  at  that ;  for  the  power  to  explain  is 
the  power  to  think,  and  that  comes  slowly.  Nevertheless, 
it  helps  enormously  to  understand  the  processes  of  thought 
involved. 

Preparation  for  explaining  consists  of  three  parts.  First, 
you  must  learn  all  you  can  of  your  subject,  and  think  out 


166  GOOD   ENGLISH 

as  clearly  as  possible  what  you  know.  Second,  you  must 
consider  the  point  of  view  and  the  knowledge  of  the  reader ; 
in  other  words,  you  must  decide  how  much  and  what  kind 
of  explanation  he  needs.  Third,  you  must  make  a  plan. 
Bad  thinking  is  corrected  by  a  plan.  The  writing  out  or  the 
speaking  that  follows  preparation  is  made  easy  by  a  plan. 

Read  some  or  all  of  the  following  explanations  and  be  able 
to  tell  exactly  what  they  mean.  Are  they  clear?  Do  they 
give  all  the  explanation  that  you  need  in  order  to  under- 
stand the  subjects  discussed  ? 

What  is  a  Boy  Scout? 
(From  The  Boy  Scouts  of  America.) 

A  scout!  He  enjoys  a  hike  through  the  woods  more  than  he 
does  a  walk  over  the  city's  streets.  He  can  tell  north  or  south  or 
east  or  west  by  the  "signs."  He  can  tie  a  knot  that  will  hold, 
he  can  climb  a  tree  which  seems  impossible  to  others,  he  can  swim  a 
river,  he  can  pitch  a  tent,  he  can  mend  a  tear  in  his  trousers,  he  can 
tell  you  which  fruits  and  seeds  are  poisonous  and  which  are  not,  he 
can  sight  nut-bearing  trees  from  a  distance ;  if  living  near  ocean  or 
lake  he  can  reef  a  sail  or  take  his  trick  at  the  wheel,  and  if  near 
any  body  of  water  at  all  he  can  pull  an  oar  or  use  paddles  and  sculls ; 
in  the  woods  he  knows  the  names  of  birds  and  animals ;  in  the  water 
he  tells  you  the  different  varieties  of  fish. 

A  scout  walks  through  the  woods  with  silent  tread.  No  dry 
twigs  snap  under  his  feet  and  no  loose  stones  turn  over  and  throw 
him  off  his  balance.  His  eyes  are  keen  and  he  sees  many  things 
that  others  do  not  see.  He  sees  tracks  and  signs  which  reveal  to 
him  the  nature  and  habits  of  the  creatures  that  made  them.  He 
knows  how  to  stalk  birds  and  animals  and  study  them  in  their 
natural  haunts.     He  sees  much,  but  is  little  seen. 

A  scout,  like  an  old  frontiersman,  does  not  shout  his  wisdom 
from  the  housetops.  He  possesses  the  quiet  power  that  comes 
from    knowledge.      He    speaks    softly    and    answers    questions 


HOW   TO  BE  CLEAR 


167 


modestly.  He  knows  a 
braggart  but  he  does  not 
challenge  him,  allowing  the 
boaster  to  expose  his  ignor- 
ance by  his  own  loose- 
wagging  tongue. 

A  scout  can  kindle  a  fire 
in  the  forest  on  the  wettest 
day  and  he  seldom  uses 
more  than  one  match. 
When  no  matches  can  be 
had  he  can  still  have  a  fire, 
for  he  knows  the  secret  of 
the  rubbing  sticks  used  by 
the  Indians,  and  he  knows 
how  to  start  a  blaze  with 
only  his  knife  blade  and  a 
piece  of  flint.  He  knows, 
also,  the  danger  of  forest 
fires,  and  he  kindles  a  blaze 
that  will  not  spread.  The 
fire  once  started,  what  a 
meal  he  can  prepare  out 
there  in  the  open!  Just 
watch  him  and  compare  his 
appetite  with  that  of  a  boy 
who  lounges  at  a  lunch 
counter  in  a  crowded  city. 
He  knows  the  unwritten 
rules  of  the  campfire  and 
he  contributes  his  share  to 
the  pleasures  of  the  council. 
He  also  knows  when  to  sit 
silent  before  the  ruddy 
embers  and  give  his  mind 
free  play. 


WHAT  A  MEAL  HE  CAN  PREPARE 


168  GOOD  ENGLISH 

A  scout  practises  self-control,  for  he  knows  that  men  who  master 
problems  in  the  world  must  first  master  themselves.  He  keeps  a 
close  guard  on  his  temper  and  never  makes  a  silly  spectacle  of 
himself  by  losing  his  head.  He  keeps  a  close  guard  on  his  tongue 
for  he  knows  that  loud  speech  is  often  a  cloak  to  ignorance,  that 
swearing  is  a  sign  of  weakness,  and  that  untruthfulness  shatters 
the  confidence  of  others.  He  keeps  a  close  guard  on  his  appetite 
and  eats  moderately  of  food  that  will  make  him  strong ;  he  never 
uses  alcohoUc  hquors  because  he  does  not  wish  to  poison  his  body ; 
he  desires  a  clear,  active  brain,  so  he  avoids  tobacco. 

A  scout  never  flinches  in  the  face  of  danger,  for  he  knows  that 
at  such  a  time  every  faculty  must  be  alert  to  preserve  his  safety 
and  that  of  others.  He  knows  what  to  do  in  case  of  fire,  or  panic, 
or  shipwreck ;  he  trains  his  mind  to  direct  and  his  body  to  act.  In 
all  emergencies  he  sets  an  example  of  resourcefulness,  coolness,  and 
courage,  and  considers  the  safety  of  others  before  that  of  himself. 
He  is  especially  considerate  of  the  helpless  and  the  weak. 

A  scout  does  not  run  away  or  call  for  help  when  an  accident 
occurs.  If  a  person  is  cut,  he  knows  how  to  stop  the  flow  of  blood 
and  gently  and  carefully  bind  up  the  wound.  If  a  person  is  burned, 
his  knowledge  tells  him  how  to  alleviate  the  suffering.  If  any  one 
is  dragged  from  the  water  unconscious,  a  scout  at  once  sets  to  work 
to  restore  respiration  and  circulation.  He  knows  that  not  a  minute 
can  be  lost. 

A  scout  knows  that  people  expect  more  of  him  than  they  do  of 
other  boys  ahd  he  governs  his  conduct  so  that  no  word  of  reproach 
can  truthfully  be  brought  against  the  great  brotherhood  to  which 
he  has  pledged  his  loyalty.  He  seeks  always  to  make  the  word 
"Scout"  worthy  of  the  respect  of  people  whose  opinions  have  value. 
He  wears  his  uniform  worthily. 

A  scout  knows  his  city  as  well  as  he  knows  the  trails  in  the  forest. 
He  can  guide  a  stranger  wherever  he  desires  to  go,  and  this  knowl- 
edge of  short-cuts  saves  him  many  needless  steps.  He  knows  where 
the  poHce  stations  are  located,  where  the  fire-alarm  boxes  are  placed, 
where  the  nearest  doctor  lives,  where  the  hospitals  are,  and  which  is 
the  quickest  way  to  reach  them.    He  knows  the  names  of  the  city 


HOW   TO  BE   CLEAR  169 

officials  and  the  nature  of  their  duties.  A  scout  is  proud  of  his  city 
and  freely  ojBfers  his  services  when  he  can  help. 

A  scout  is  a  patriot  and  is  always  ready  to  serve  his  country  at 
a  minute's  notice.  He  loves  Old  Glory  and  knows  the  proper 
forms  of  offering  it  respect.  He  never  permits  its  folds  to  touch 
the  ground.  He  knows  how  his  country  is  governed  and  who  are 
the  men  in  high  authority.  He  desires  a  strong  body,  an  alert 
mind,  and  an  unconquerable  spirit,  so  that  he  may  serve  his  country 
in  any  need.  He  patterns  his  life  after  those  of  great  Americans 
who  have  had  a  high  sense  of  duty  and  who  have  served  the  nation 
well. 

A  scout  chooses  as  his  motto  "Be  Prepared,"  and  he  seeks  to 
prepare  himself  for  anything  —  to  rescue  a  companion,  to  ford  a 
stream,  to  gather  firewood,  to  help  strangers,  to  distinguish  right 
from  wrong,  to  serve  his  fellowmen,  his  country,  and  his  God  — 
always  to  "Be  Prepared." 

The  Seeing  Hand^ 
(From  Helen  Keller's  The  World  I  Live  In,  Chapter  T) 

I  have  just  touched  my  dog.  He  was  roUing  on  the  grass,  with 
pleasure  in  every  muscle  and  Umb.  I  wanted  to  catch  a  picture  of 
him  in  my  fingers,  and  I  touched  him  as  Ughtly  as  I  would  cobwebs ; 
but  lo,  his  fat  body  revolved,  stiffened,  and  solidified  into  an  upright 
position,  and  his  tongue  gave  my  hand  a  lick !  He  pressed  close 
to  me,  as  if  he  were  fain  to  crowd  himself  into  my  hand.  He  loved 
it  with  his  tail,  with  his  paw,  with  his  tongue.  If  he  could  speak,  I 
beheve  he  would  say  with  me  that  paradise  is  attained  by  touch ; 
for  in  touch  is  all  love  and  intelligence. 

This  small  incident  started  me  on  a  chat  about  hands,  and  if  my 
chat  is  fortunate  I  have  to  thank  my  dog-star.  In  any  case  it  is 
pleasant  to  have  something  to  talk  about  that  no  one  else  has 
monopoUzed ;  it  is  like  making  a  new  path  in  the  trackless  woods, 

1  Used  by  permission  of  The  Century  Company. 
The  author  has  been  blind  since  childhood. 


170  GOOD  ENGLISH 

blazing  the  trail  where  no  foot  has  pressed  before.  I  am  glad  to  take 
you  by  the  hand  and  lead  you  along  an  untrodden  way  into  a  world 
where  the  hand  is  supreme.  But  at  the  very  outset  we  encounter  a 
difficulty.  You  are  so  accustomed  to  light,  I  fear  you  will  stumble 
when  I  try  to  guide  you  through  the  land  of  darkness  and  silence. 
The  bhnd  are  not  supposed  to  be  the  best  of  guides.  Still,  though  I 
cannot  warrant  not  to  lose  you,  I  promise  that  you  shall  not  be  led 
into  fire  or  water,  or  fall  into  a  deep  pit.  If  you  will  follow  me 
patiently,  you  will  find  that  ''there's  a  sound  so  fine,  nothing  lives 
'twixt  it  and  silence,"  and  that  there  is  more  meant  in  things  than 
meets  the  eye. 

My  hand  is  to  me  what  your  hearing  and  sight  together  are  to 
you.  In  large  measure  we  travel  the  same  highways,  read  the  same 
books,  speak  the  same  language,  yet  our  experiences  are  different. 
All  my  comings  and  goings  turn  on  the  hand  as  on  a  pivot.  It  is 
the  hand  that  binds  me  to  the  world  of  men  and  women.  The  hand 
is  my  feeler  with  which  I  reach  through  isolation  and  darkness  and 
seize  every  pleasure,  every  activity  that  my  fingers  encounter. 
With  the  dropping  of  a  little  word  from  another's  ^  hand  into  mine, 
a  slight  flutter  of  the  fingers,  began  the  intelligence,  the  joy,  the 
fullness  of  my  life.  Like  Job,  I  feel  as  if  a  hand  had  made  me, 
fashioned  me  together  round  about,  and  molded  my  very  soul. 

In  all  my  experiences  and  thoughts  I  am  conscious  of  a  hand. 
Whatever  moves  me,  whatever  thrills  me,  is  as  a  hand  that  touches 
me  in  the  dark,  and  that  touch  is  my  reahty.  You  might  as  well 
say  that  a  sight  which  makes  you  glad,  or  a  blow  which  brings  the 
stinging  tears  to  your  eyes,  is  unreal  as  to  say  that  those  impressions 
arc  unreal  which  I  have  accumulated  by  means  of  touch.  The 
delicate  tremble  of  a  butterfly's  wings  in  my  hand,  the  soft  petals  of 
violets  curling  in  the  cool  folds  of  their  leaves  or  lifting  sweetly  out 
of  the  meadow  grass,  the  clear,  firm  outline  of  face  and  limb,  the 
smooth  arch  of  a  horse's  neck  and  the  velvety  touch  of  his  nose  — 
all  these,  and  a  thousand  resultant  combinations,  which  take  shape 
in  my  mind,  constitute  my  world. 

Ideas  make  the  world  we  live  in,  and  impressions  furnish  ideas. 

*  Miss  Sullivan's  (now  Mrs.  Macy),  when  she  began  teaching  Helen  Keller. 


HOW   TO  BE   CLEAR  171 

My  world  is  built  of  touch-sensations,  devoid  of  physical  color  and 
sound;  but  without  color  and  sound  it  breathes  and  throbs  with 
life.  Every  object  is  associated  in  my  mind  with  tactual  ^  qualities 
which,  combined  in  countless  ways,  give  me  a  sense  of  power,  of 
beauty,  or  of  incongruity :  for  with  my  hands  I  can  feel  the  comic 
as  well  as  the  beautiful  in  the  outward  appearance  of  things.  Re- 
member that  you,  dependent  on  your  sight,  do  not  reahze  how 
many  things  are  tangible.  All  palpable  things  are  mobile  or  rigid, 
solid  or  Uquid,  big  or  small,  warm  or  cold,  and  these  quaUties  are 
variously  modified.  The  coolness  of  a  water  Uly  rounding  into 
bloom  is  different  from  the  coolness  of  an  evening  wind  in  summer, 
and  different  again  from  the  coolness  of  the  rain  that  soaks  into  the 
hearts  of  growing  things  and  gives  them  life  and  body.  The  velvet 
of  a  rose  is  not  that  of  a  ripe  peach  or  of  a  baby's  dimpled  cheek. 
The  hardness  of  the  rock  is  to  the  hardness  of  the  wood  what  a 
man's  deep  bass  is  to  a  woman's  voice  when  it  is  low.  What  I 
call  beauty  I  find  in  certain  combinations  of  all  these  quaUties, 
and  is  largely  derived  from  the  flow  of  curved  and  straight  hues 
which  is  over  all  things.  .  .  . 

Wlien  I  think  of  hills,  I  think  of  the  upward  strength  I  tread  upon. 
When  water  is  the  object  of  my  thought,  I  feel  the  cool  shock  of  the 
plunge  and  the  quick  yielding  of  the  waves  that  crisp  and  curl  and 
ripple  about  my  body.  The  pleasing  changes  of  rough  and  smooth, 
pHant  and  rigid,  curved  and  straight,  in  the  bark  and  branches  of  a 
tree  give  the  truth  to  my  hand.  The  immovable  rock,  with  all  its 
juts  and  warped  surface,  bends  beneath  my  fingers  into  all  manner  of 
grooves  and  hollows.  The  bulge  of  a  watermelon  and  the  puffed-up 
rotundities  of  squashes  that  sprout,  bud,  and  ripen  in  that  strange 
garden  planted  somewhere  behind  my  fingertips  are  the  ludicrous 
in  my  tactual  memory  and  imagination.  My  fingers  are  tickled 
to  deUght  by  the  soft  ripple  of  a  baby's  laugh,  and  find  amusement 
in  the  lusty  crow  of  the  barnyard  autocrat.  Once  I  had  a  pet 
rooster  that  used  to  perch  on  my  knee  and  stretch  his  neck  and  crow. 
A  bird  in  my  hand  was  then  worth  two  in  the  —  barnyard. 

My  fingers  cannot,  of  course,  get  the  impression  of  a  large  whole 
^  Relating  to  touch. 


172  GOOD  ENGLISH 

at  a  glance ;  but  I  feel  the  parts  and  my  mind  puts  them  together. 
I  move  around  my  house,  touching  object  after  object  in  order, 
before  I  can  form  an  idea  of  the  entire  house.  In  other  people's 
houses  I  can  touch  only  what  is  shown  me  —  the  chief  objects  of 
interest,  carvings  on  the  wall,  or  a  curious  architectural  feature, 
exhibited  Uke  the  family  album.  Therefore  a  house  with  which  I 
am  not  famiUar  has  for  me,  at  first,  no  general  effect  or  harmony  of 
detail.  It  is  not  a  complete  conception,  but  a  collection  of  object- 
impressions  which,  as  they  come  to  me,  are  disconnected  and 
isolated.  But  my  mind  is  full  of  associations,,  sensations,  theories, 
and  with  them  it  constructs  the  house.  The  process  reminds  me 
of  the  building  of  Solomon's  Temple,  where  was  neither  saw,  nor 
hammer,  nor  any  tool  heard  while  the  stones  were  being  laid  one 
upon  another.  The  silent  worker  is  imagination  which  decrees 
reality  out  of  chaos. 

Back-sword 
(From  Thomas  Hughes'  Tom  Brown's  School  Days,  Chapter  II) 

I  think  I  must  tell  you,  as  shortly  as  I  can,  how  the  noble  old 
game  of  back-sword  is  played ;  for  it  is  sadly  gone  out  of  late,  even 
in  the  Vale,  and  maybe  you  have  never  seen  it. 

The  weapon  is  a  good  stout  ash  stick  with  a  large  basket  handle, 
heavier  and  somewhat  shorter  than  a  common  single-stick.  The 
players  are  called  "old  gamesters"  —  why,  I  can't  tell  you  —  and 
their  object  is  simply  to  break  one  another's  heads ;  for  the  moment 
that  blood  nms  an  inch  anywhere  above  the  eyebrow,  the  old 
gamester  to  whom  it  belongs  is  beaten,  and  has  to  stop.  A  very 
slight  blow  with  the  sticks  will  fetch  blood,  so  that  it  is  by  no 
means  a  punishing  pastime,  if  the  men  don't  play  on  purpose  and 
savagely  at  the  body  and  arms  of  their  adversaries.  The  old 
gamester  going  into  action  only  takes  off  his  hat  and  coat,  and  arms 
himself  with  a  stick ;  he  then  loops  the  fingers  of  his  left  hand  in  a 
handkerchief  or  strap,  which  he  fastens  round  his  left  leg,  measuring 
the  length,  so  that  when  he  draws  it  tight  with  his  left  elbow  in 
the  air,  that  elbow  shall  just  reach  as  high  as  his  crown.    Thus 


HOW   TO  BE   CLEAR  173 

you  see,  so  long  as  he  chooses  to  keep  his  left  elbow  up,  regardless 
of  cuts,  he  has  a  perfect  guard  for  the  left  side  of  his  head.  Then 
he  advances  his  right  hand  above  and  in  front  of  his  head,  holding 
his  stick  across,  so  that  its  point  projects  an  inch  or  two  over  his 
left  elbow ;  and  thus  his  whole  head  is  completely  guarded,  and  he 
faces  his  man  armed  in  like  manner;  and  they  stand  some  three 
feet  apart,  often  nearer,  and  feint  and  strike  and  return  at  one 
another's  heads,  until  one  cries  "hold,"  or  blood  flows.  In  the  first 
case  they  are  allowed  a  minute's  time,  and  go  on  again ;  in  the  latter 
another  pair  of  gamesters  is  called  on.  If  good  men  are  playing, 
the  quickness  of  the  returns  is  marvelous ;  you  hear  the  rattle  like 
that  a  boy  makes  drawing  his  stick  along  palings,  only  heavier; 
and  the  closeness  of  the  men  in  action  to  one  another  gives  it  a 
strange  interest,  and  makes  a  spell  at  back-swording  a  very  noble 
sight. 

La  Fitte's  Treasure  Hunt 
(From  The  Boy  Scouts  of  America) 

La  Fitte  was  a  famous  American  pirate  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 
Like  all  pirates,  he  buried  his  treasure  and  made  a  map  of  it. 
La  Fitte's  actual  notes  have  been  found  and  read  as  follows : 

"Start  at  the  rock  in  Dead  Man's  Gulch,  near  the  skull  of  the 
Spaniard,  travel  northwest  70  paces  to  a  cache,  where  you  will 
find  a  cask  o'  rum,  from  thence,  due  west  30  paces,  where  you 
will  find  the  finger  bones  of  Don  Piedro  Fiesto.  Thence  northeast 
50  paces,  where  you  will  find  a  cache  of  coffin  nails,  thence  north 
20  paces,  where  you  will  find  a  cache  of  bullets,  thence  northeast 
40  paces,  where  you  will  find  a  cache  of  copper  coins,  thence  west 
60  paces,  where  you  will  find  a  cache  of  brass  coins,  thence  southeast 
26  paces,  where  you  will  find  a  cache  of  silver  coins,  thence  southwest 
30  paces,  where  you  will  find  a  cache  with  the  keys  to  the  treasure 
chest,  then  northwest  30  paces,  where  you  will  find  a  cache  contain- 
ing a  brass-bound  chest  full  of  bars  of  gold,  bags  of  doubloons,  and 
pieces  of  'eight.'" 

The  scoutmaster  must  carefully  lay  out  the  course.    At  each 


174  GOOD  ENGLISH 

cache  he  is  supposed  to  bury  the  things  enumerated,  but  in  reality 
only  marks  the  spot  with  a  small  peg.  The  treasure  may  be  a 
pocket  compass,  scout  whistle,  knife,  ax,  cooking  outfit,  book,  or 
other  suitable  prize. 

The  first  contestant  takes  his  place  at  peg  "A"  with  a  pocket 
compass  in  his  hand.  "A"  is  supposed  to  be  the  "rock  in  Dead 
Man's  Gulch."  The  scout,  remembering  that  the  black  end  of  the 
needle  is  the  north  end,  adjusts  his  compass  until  the  needle  points 
exactly  north,  then  he  sights  along  the  northwest  point,  gets  his 
line  of  direction,  steps  off  70  paces,  and  hunts  for  the  cask  o'  rum. 
He  is  allowed  only  a  certain  time  to  find  each  cache,  two,  three,  or 
five  minutes,  according  to  the  difficulty  of  the  undertaking.  The 
scoutmaster  starts  him  with  a  whistle. 

When  played  as  a  game,  each  cache  counts  one,  and  the  one 
finding  the  treasure  makes  the  biggest  score,  of  course.  The 
scoutmaster  can  hand  the  pathfinder  bits  of  paper  or  pebbles, 
one  for  each  peg  found.  The  pebbles  serve  as  counters  for  the 
score. 

The  distances  may  be  any  number  of  paces  you  choose,  but  each 
direction  should  be  one  of  the  four  points  of  the  compass ;  that  is, 
the  four  quarters  of  the  compass,  north,  south,  east,  and  west,  or 
the  four  eighths  of  the  compass,  that  is,  northeast,  northwest, 
southeast,  and  southwest.  To  go  any  further  into  the  subdivisions 
of  the  compass  makes  the  game  too  difficult.  You  will  find  it  hard 
enough  to  find  the  treasure  if  you  stick  to  quarters  and  eighths, 
and  you  had  better  practise  first  simply  on  quarters;  that  is,  go 
east  so  many  paces,  north  so  many,  south  so  many,  and  west  so 
many. 

It  is  allowable  for  the  scout  to  place  his  compass  on  the  peg  and 
lie  prone  on  the  ground  to  sight  his  directions.  A  number  of  boys 
may  play  this  game  at  once  by  laying  out  several  courses  from  the 
rock  in  Dead  Man's  Gulch,  the  prize  being  given  to  the  one  who 
reaches  the  treasure  chest  first. 

The  beauty  of  La  Fitte's  Treasure  Hunt  is  that  it  gives  one  prac- 
tice and  experience  in  the  use  of  the  compass  which  may  serve  one 
to  advantage  on  an  occasion  of  dire  necessity. 


HOW   TO   BE   CLEAR  175 

Ordering  a  Uniform 

Age-size :  In  ordering  a  Boy  Scout  uniform  it  is  not  the  actual 
age  of  the  boy  which  should  be  mentioned,  but  the  age-size  of  each 
garment.  Ascertain  from  a  local  clothing  dealer,  or  from  the  tables 
of  measurements  given  on  this  blank,  the  age-size  of  the  shirt, 
breeches,  coat,  or  other  garment,  which  the  size  and  development 
of  the  boy  requires.  Often  a  twelve-year-old  boy  requires  a  fourteen- 
year  age-size,  or  a  fourteen-year-old  boy  requires  a  twelve-year 
age-size.  In  other  words,  it  does  not  matter  how  long  the  boy  has 
lived,  but  we  must  know  how  large  he  has  grown. 

Should  it  be  impossible  to  determine  the  proper  age-size  in  this 
way,  give  measurements  for  each  garment. 

LESSON  TWENTY  FOUR 

Planning  an  Explanation 

You  must  know  your  subject  before  you  begin  to  explain 
it.  Next  you  must  consider  the  reader  or  the  hearer.  Is 
he  an  expert  in  your  subject?  Then  you  can  use  technical 
words  in  writing  to  him.  Is  he  older  or  younger  than  you? 
His  age  will  make  a  great  difference  in  the  way  you  explain. 
A  letter  describing  wireless  telegraphy  written  to  a  boy  of 
ten,  would  be  very  different  from  the  explanation  you  might 
give  a  college  graduate.  And  the  account  of  your  school 
life  written  for  your  cousin  in  New  York  would  have  to  be 
different  from  the  letter  on  the  same  subject  you  might  write 
to  a  Japanese  schoolboy.  After  you  have  mastered  your 
subject  then,  consider  the  point  of  view  of  your  readers  or 
hearers.     Next  comes  the  making  of  a  plan. 

The  word  plan  is  included  in  the  longer  word  explanation, 
and  both  are  derived  from  the  same  Latin  term.  This  is 
significant.  Clearness  is  so  necessary  to  explanation  that 
an  accurate  plan  must  be  kept  constantly  in  view. 


176  GOOD  ENGLISH 

Here  is  the  plan  of  the  brief  explanation  on  page  175,  — 

1.  Give  age-size,  not  actual  age. 

2.  Consult  dealer  or  tables. 

3.  Tell  how  large  boy  is,  not  how  old. 

Now  suppose  that  instead  of  making  an  outline  of  an 
extract  you  have  just  read,  you  have  to  plan  an  explanation 
that  you  wish  to  write  yourself.  There  are  three  steps  to  be 
taken.  The  first  is  to  decide  upon  the  principal  points  to 
be  made  in  your  explanation.  There  can  never  be  more 
than  a  few  principal  ones,  unless  it  is  a  very  long  explanation. 
This  is  much  Uke  choosing  the  important  events  in  planning 
stories,  as  discussed  on  page  70.  The  second  step  is  to 
arrange  the  principal  points  or  headings,  in  the  best  order. 
The  third  step  is  to  tuck  away  the  details  of  your  explana- 
tion, each  under  the  principal  heading  to  which  it  belongs. 
Of  course,  if  there  are  lesser,  subordinate  points,  they  will 
come  under  the  principal  headings,  and  the  details  under 
them. 

What  are  the  principal  points  in  any  explanation?  This 
question  your  own  brain  must  answer,  for  until  you  can 
answer  it,  you  cannot  explain  the  subject.  Many  subjects 
have  to  be  defined  before  you  can  begin  to  explain  them. 
If  you  are  writing  of  coal  or  flour  or  liberty  or  baseball  or 
Chow  dogs  or  Ford  cars,  this  will  be  true,  and  your  fii*st 
main  point  will  be  a  definition.  That  done,  you  can  divide 
your  subject  into  parts,  taking  care  to  divide  all  of  it,  and 
being  sure  that  none  of  your  divisions  overlap.  These 
two  simple  processes  will  carry  you  far  on  your  road  toward 
clear  explanation. 

Next  comes  the  order  of  points.  Any  order  that  is  clear 
will  be  coherent.  Definition  would  scarcely  come  at  the 
end.  Nor  if  the  explanation  followed  a  time  order,  such 
as  first,  second,  third,  (as  in  baking  a  cake,  for  instance) , 


HOW   TO  BE  CLEAR  177 

would  you  put  the  second  step  after  the  fourth.  Nor  if 
the  subject  were  difficult,  hke  the  flight  of  an  airplane, 
would  you  begin  with  the  thing  hard  to  understand,  such 
as  the  effect  of  wind  pressure,  and  end  with  something 
easy,  like  the  comparison  of  an  airplane  with  a  floating 
sheet  of  paper.  Follow,  then,  a  natural  order.  And  as 
far  as  you  are  able,  put  a  really  important  point  last  for 
emphasis. 

Third,  arrange  all  of  the  details  beneath  each  main  head- 
ing. If  you  will  think  of  your  main  points  as  boxes,  then 
each  detail  fits  into  its  own  box.  Of  course,  you  may  have 
subheadings,  as  here,  — 

I.  A  principal  use  of  milk  is  for  butter 

A.  Butter  may  be  either  fresh  or  salted 
a.  Fresh  butter  is  simply  the  fat  of  milk 
h.  Salt  butter  has  salt  added  as  a  preservative,  and 
often  coloring  matter  to  make  it  more  yellow 

In  such  instances  the  heading  A  fits  into  heading  I  and 
the  details  a  and  b  fit  into  A . 

Study  the  following  general  plan  in  which  definition  and 
division  are  provided  for :  — 


1.  Definition 

5.  Uses 

2.  Source  or  origin 

a. 

a. 

b. 

b. 

c. 

3.  Kinds 

d. 

a. 

6.  Values  and  influences 

b. 

a. 

c. 

b. 

L  Manufacture  or 

process 

c. 

a. 

d. 

b. 

c. 

N 

178  GOOD  ENGLISH 

PRACTICE 

1.  Make  a  plan  for  one  of  the  explanations  on  pages  166  to  174. 

2.  Plan  and  write  brief  explanations  of  some  of  the  following :  — 
Kites  Carpets         Ribbons         Clocks  Quilts 
Marbles        Desks           Books            Sling  shots        Pies 
Needles         Horses          Coffee            Stoves                Apples 
Stars              Caps             Tea                Bats                   Rings 

How  I  prepare  my  lessons.  Darning  stockings. 

Sweeping  a  room.  Building  a  canoe. 

Learning  to  swim.  Making  coffee. 

Washing  the  dishes.  .Managing  a  wild  west  show. 

Helping  get  dinner.  Taking  out  stains. 

Laying  out  a  diamond.  Looking  up  a  word. 

Sewing  on  a  button.  Stopping  a  leak. 

Polishing  the  silver.  Taking  out  a  book. 

Looking  after  the  furnace.  Driving  a  horse. 

3.  Plan  and  write  an  explanation  of  the  differences  between  your 

English  recitations  and  your  recitations  in  some  other  sub- 
ject. 

4.  Plan  and  write  an  explanation  on  the  value  of  your  hands  in 

daily  life  at  school. 

5.  Plan  and  write  a  Uttle  comparison  of  life  with  a  game.     Write 

this  (a)  for  an  American  child,  (6)  for  a  foreign  child. 

6.  Tell  the  story  of  a  certain  game  you  saw,  or  in  which  you  took 

part,  so  that  one  who  does  not  understand  the  game  will  be 
informed  as  to  how  to  play  it. 

7.  Answer  by  means  of  a  brief  plan  as  many  of  the  following 

questions  as  you  can  :  — 

Why  is  school  spirit  a  good  thing? 

What  is  the  cause  of  thunder? 

Of  what  value  are  trees  ? 

What  causes  winter  and  summer? 

Why  do  so  many  people  prefer  to  live  in  cities? 

Of  what  uses  to  the  farmer  are  sparrows? 

What  is  baking  powder  for  ? 

Why  does  silk  cost  more  than  muslin? 


HOW   TO  BE   CLEAR 


179 


Why  are  mosquitoes  dangerous? 

Why  are  slates  no  longer  used  in  school  ? 

&    Explain  one  or  more  of  the  following.     First,  define  it ;   then 
tell  what  caused  it ;   then  explain  its  effect :  — 


9. 


10. 


The  Boston  Tea  Party. 
The  Continental  Congress. 
The  French  and  Indian  War. 
The  Civil  War. 


The  Stamp  Act. 
The  Klondike  Rush. 
The  Abolition  of  Slavery. 
The  Spanish  War. 


Explain  by  as  many  illustrations  as  you  can  why  it  pays  for 
a  boy  or  a  girl  to  remain  in  school  until  graduation.  Give 
many  instances  of  boys  and  girls  that  you  know  who  regretted 
leaving  school  before  they  had  completed  the  course. 

Imagine  it  to  be  your  task  to  explain  the  game  of  tennis  to 
some  one  who  does  not  understand  it.  Compose  a  series  of 
questions  that  he  would  probably  ask,  based  upon  the  draw- 
ing below.  Then  answer  these  questions  fully,  making  sure 
to  cover  any  points  that  the  questions  may  have  overlooked. 
Show,  among  other  things,  how  the  picture  will  be  changed 
immediately  after  the  ball  is  served. 


180  GOOD  ENGLISH 

LESSON  TWENTY  FIVE 
Other  Methods  of  Explanation 

When  you  define  a  word,  you  explain. 

When  you  solve  a  problem  in  mathematics,  you  explain. 

When  you  tell  somebody  how  to  do  something,  how  to 
make  something,  how  to  go  somewhere,  you  explain. 

When  you  answer  questions,  particularly  the  questions 
how  and  why,  where  and  who,  you  explain. 

When  you  perform  an  experiment,  you  explain. 

When  you  make  a  drawing  or  a  design  on  the  board,  you 
explain. 

When  you  tell  a  story  that  gives  information,  you  explain. 

It  appears,  then,  that  a  very  large  part  of  your  written 
and  oral  expression  consists  of  explanation.  Most  work 
depends  entirely  for  its  efficient  results  upon  the  clearness 
of  the  directions  given  regarding  its  processes.  If  the  direc- 
tions or  explanations  are  confused  or  ''mixed  up,"  then  the 
workmen  will  not  understand  and  the  product  they  turn  out 
will  be  accordingly  inferior. 

Whenever  possible  add  to  the  clearness  of  your  explanation 
by  means  of  drawings. 

In  the  same  way  enrich  your  explanations  with  an  abun- 
dance of  appropriate  examples. 

An  excellent  method  of  preparing  for  explanation,  is  by 
the  use  of  the  six  queries,  — 

1.  Who 

2.  What 

3.  How 

4.  Why 

5.  When 

6.  Where 


HOW   TO  BE   CLEAR  181 

These  do  not  all  make  equal  demands  for  explanation. 
When  and  where  may  often  be  answered  briefly.  Who  may 
require  much  more  than  either  of  these.  Most  biographies 
and  autobiographies  are  explanatory  answers  to  this  word 
who.  What  usually  requires  a  definition  of  one  kind  or 
another.  How  and  why  are  the  really  important  words  in 
explanation.  These  two  test  your  ability  sharply  and 
therefore  require  the  most  careful  attention. 

These  six  queries  applied  to  your  subject  will  invariably 
give  you  the  material  for  your  main  headings.  The  only 
difficulty  is  that  unless  you  handle  them  intelligently  they 
may  give  you  too  much.  If  a  query  —  who  or  when  or 
where  —  is  unimportant  for  your  subject,  throw  it  aside 
and  press  on.  Notice  particularly  the  place  of  these  interrog- 
ative words  in  the  following  drill.  Which  are  most  useful  ? 
Which  do  you  most  often  pass  over?  Do  you  ever  apply 
all  six  with  useful  results  ? 

PRACTICE 

1.  Answer  each  of  the  following  in  complete  sentence  form :  — 
Where  is  San  Francisco  located?  How  is  it  reached  from  At- 
lanta ?  For  whom  is  San  Francisco  named  ?  When  was  it  estab- 
lished? Why  is  it  an  important  American  city?  What  are  its 
principal  commercial  activities?  What  is  the  meaning  of  Sanf 
When  did  the  great  earthquake  in  San  Francisco  take  place? 
How  many  hves  were  lost?  Why  was  the  city  able  to  recover 
from  the  disaster  so  rapidly  ? 

2.  Define  the  following  words.     First,  define  them  without  looking 

them  up.     Then  look  them  up  and  compare  your  first  defini- 
tion with  the  one  in  the  dictionary :  — 

quorum  submarine  fabric  smuggler 

hockey  zeppelin  fossil  aviation 

waste  protection  gossip  tenderfoot 

prefix  ambassador  pollen  scout 


182  GOOD  ENGLISH 

3.  Explain  by  means  of  a  diagram  at  the  board  how  to  go  from 

your  school  to  your  home;  how  to  go  from  your  school  to 
some  place  in  the  state.  Point  to  your  diagram  while  you  are 
making  the  explanation. 

4.  Explain  before  the  class  how  to  do  some  of  the  following  things. 

They  appear  to  be  very  simple,  but  as  a  matter  of  fact  it  is 
very  difficult  to  explain  accurately  how  to  perform  these 
everyday  operations :  — 

How  to  fold  a  letter.  How  to  row  a  boat. 

How  to  tie  a  bow.  How  to  lay  a  carpet. 

How  to  cover  a  book.  How  to  put  on  a  collar. 

How  to  open  a  door.  How  to  put  on  a  coat. 

How  to  drive  a  nail.  How  to  hang  a  picture. 

5.  Explain  the  following  problems  to  your  class  by  means  of  a 

board  diagram :  — 

(1)  i  +  5  =  i 

(2)  How  many  feet  did  John  run  per  second,  if  he  covered  200 

yards  in  half  a  minute? 

(3)  James  bought  a  house  for  $2000.     He  sold  it  for  $2200. 

He  had  paid  $100  for  taxes  on  it,  $73.50  for  repairs, 
and  lost  5%  interest  for  three  months  on  his  original 
investment.  What  was  his  profit  or  loss  on  the  trans- 
action? 

6.  A  proverb  is  a  brief  saying  that  means  much  more  than  is  at 

first  apparent.  The  following  proverbs  are  well  known  to 
you.  Explain  what  each  one  means.  Make  your  ex- 
planation so  clear  that  one  who  was  just  learning  your 
language  might  understand  you.  Perhaps  you  can  give 
an  example  or  two  that  will  make  each  one  clearer  :  — 

A  bird  in  the  hand  is  worth  two  in  the  bush. 

A  stitch  in  time  saves  nine. 

All  that  glitters  is  not  gold. 

Don't  cry  over  spilled  milk. 

Pride  goeth  before  a  fall. 

Do  not  look  a  gift  horse  in  the  mouth. 

A  penny  saved  is  a  penny  earned. 


HOW   TO  BE   CLEAR  183 

A  bad  book  is  the  worst  robber. 
A  poor  workman  blames  his  tools. 
Too  many  cooks  spoil  the  broth. 

7.  Plan  and  write  a  full  explanation  of  one  of  the  following.     Select 

one  that  you  can  write  about  with  feeling :  — 

What  it  means  to  be  an  American, 
What  a  good  school  does  for  a  child. 
What  it  means  to  be  patriotic. 
What  honesty  can  do  for  a  person. 
What  too  much  money  can  lead  to. 
What  good  books  mean  to  me. 
What  music  means  in  a  home. 
What  a  good  game  does  for  a  boy. 

8.  Tell  how  one  of  the  following  occurred  and  then  draw  a  little 

lesson  from  the  event :  — 

John's  failure.  Harry's  discovery. 

Bill's  fall.  Ethel's  surprise. 

9.  Enumerate  as  many  household  operations  as  you  can  think  of, 

such  as,  washing,  ironing,  sewing,  and  explain  orally,  — 

(1)  The  purpose  of  each. 

(2)  How  each  is  done. 

(3)  The  value  of  each  to  the  home. 

10.  Look  up  in  the  encyclopedia  or  elsewhere  something  in  which 
you  are  interested,  and  write  a  long  theme  in  explanation  of 
it.  Make  a  plan  first  and  follow  it  closely  in  your  composi- 
tion. When  you  are  done,  select  those  points  that  you  would 
use  in  making  a  five-minute  talk  on  the  subject  before  the 
class.  The  following  are  suggestions  merely.  Each  pupil 
should  if  possible  select  something  with  which  his  future  life 
will  probably  be  connected  :  — 

plumbing  driving  medicine 

bookkeeping  mining  law 

selling  banking  preaching 

designing  teaching  millinery 

dressmaking  buying  home  management 

nursing  writing  acting 


184 


GOOD  ENGLISH 

secretarial  work 

cooking 

missions 

lecturing 

moving  pictures 

commerce 

manufacture 

coral 

pineapples 

oranges 

ranching 

steel 

lead 

machine  work 

coaching 

advertising 

authorship 

telephone  operator 

messenger 

telegraphy- 

filing 

LESSON  TWENTY  SIX 
The  Paragraph 

Stories  move  ahead  by  events,  explanations  by  points 
made  clear.  All  writing  or  speaking,  indeed,  must  neces- 
sarily proceed  by  moments  of  progress,  followed  by  brief 
pauses.  In  questions  and  answers,  and  in  much  conversa- 
tion, these  moments  of  progress  are  expressed  by  sentences 
merely.  But  in  a  story  or  a  long  letter,  and  especially  in 
an  explanation,  a  group  of  sentences  marks  one  complete 
section  of  the  narrative  or  the  thought,  and  marks  the  period 
of  progress.  This  group  of  sentences  is  the  paragraph,  a 
unit  of  composition  that  comes  as  naturally  as  breathing, 
but  is  much  harder  to  do  well. 

When  the  preparation  for  an  explanation  has  resulted  in 
a  good  plan,  the  next  step  is  writing  out ;  and  this  brings 
one  instantly  to  the  question  of  the  paragraph.  Each  main 
head  will,  as  a  rule,  require  one  or  more  paragraphs;  and 
unless  these  paragraphs  are  good,  the  clearness  of  the  whole 
will  suffer,  no  matter  how  good  the  plan. 

A  paragraph,  then,  is  a  group  of  sentences  all  related  to 
one  principal  thought.  Suppose  you  were  to  write  or  speak 
about  a  party  that  you  had  attended.  There  would  be 
many  things  to  tell.  You  would  have  to  mention  the  people 
present,  the  things  you  did,  the  refreshments,  the  pleasure 


HOW   TO  BE   CLEAR  185 

that  you  experienced.  There  would  be  a  few  sentences 
about  the  first  topic,  a  few  about  the  second,  and  so  on. 
Now,  if  you  separate  these  sentence  groups,  instead  of 
placing  them  together  in  a  solid  mass,  you  will  make  your- 
self more  easily  understood. 

You  must  do  this  in  two  ways.  First,  you  must  begin 
each  new  group  of  related  sentences  on  a  separate  margin, 
indenting  the  first  Une  further  to  the  right  than  those  that 
follow;  or,  if  you  are  speaking,  you  must  pause  in  such  a 
way  as  to  denote  by  the  voice  that  you  are  making  a  transi- 
tion from  one  part  of  your  story  to  another.  Second,  you 
must  have  one  sentence  in  each  sentence  group  that  will 
serve  as  a  title  or  key  to  the  whole  group.  This  should 
usually  come  at  the  beginning,  but  it  may  be  placed  in  the 
middle  or  at  the  end  of  each  group. 

Paragraphs  may  be  long  or  short.  In  dividing  most 
subjects  you  will  find  that  many  more  sentences  must  be 
used  in  teUing  about  one  part  than  about  another. 
Do  not  aim  to  make  all  of  your  paragraphs  the  same 
length,  but  avoid  making  them  excessively  long  or  too 
short.  Very  long  paragraphs  tire  the  reader  or  listener. 
Very  short  ones  are  likely  to  disturb  and  disconnect  his 
thinking. 

Observe  how  this  lesson,  and  the  lessons  on  pages  165 
and  175,  are  divided  into  paragraphs.  Note  the  division  of 
the  extracts  on  pages  166  and  169,  into  paragraphs.  Is 
each  paragraph  made  up  of  a  connected  group  of  sentences? 
What  relation  does  each  paragraph  bear  to  the  plan? 

PRACTICE 

1.  Select  one  of  the  following  topics  and  indicate  just  how  many 
paragraphs  you  would  divide  your  subject  into  and  just  what 
you  would  aim  to  accomplish  in  each  one :  — 


Our  school. 

Horses. 

My  home. 

Boys. 

The  game. 

Girls. 

Cats. 

Teachers. 

Dogs. 

Desks. 

186  GOOD  ENGLISH 

Tom's  birthday  party. 
Dinner  at  Bill's. 
At  the  swimming  hole. 
Reading  a  composition. 
Arranging  a  vacation. 

2.  Here  is  a  composition  that  is  not  paragraphed  at  all.      Indicate 

the  places  where  you  think  it  should  be  paragraphed,  giving 

your  reasons  in  each  case  :  — 
Climbing  a  mountain  is  not  a  difficult  business,  provided  the 
mountain  is  neither  too  wild  nor  too  steep  nor  too  high.  First 
get  a  good  map  of  the  district  which  will  show  you  the  best  approach 
to  the  base,  and  perhaps  the  general  direction  of  the  trail  that  leads 
to  the  top.  With  your  map  in  hand  ask  questions  of  any  natives 
who  have  climbed  the  mountain  before.  If  your  map  is  in  contours, 
that  is,  marked  with  lines  that  show  decreasing  and  increasing  ele- 
vations, so  much  the  better.  The  real  work  will  begin  when  your 
road  (which  will  probably  be  a  trail  or  an  old  lumber  road)  enters 
the  forest  at  the  base  of  the  mountain.  Few  trails  and  fewer  wood 
roads  are  without  numerous  forks,  and  you  can  be  sure  that  some- 
where or  everywhere  guide  posts  will  be  lacking.  When  you  come 
to  such  a  branching  of  the  road,  decide  from  your  general  knowledge 
of  the  appearance  of  the  mountain,  and  a  study  of  your  map,  whether 
to  turn  right  or  left.  When  you  have  decided,  turn  boldly,  and 
proceed.  If  the  road  or  trail  ends  in  a  squirrel  track  you  are  prob- 
ably wrong  and  must  turn  back.  But  even  if  the  road  keeps  open, 
you  may  still  be  mistaken.  This  is  the  time  when  your  contour 
lines  become  useful.  By  studying  them  you  can  tell  whether  your 
road  should  go  up  steeply  or  gently ;  and  if  there  are  brooks  indi- 
cated on  your  map,  you  can  also  tell  whether  and  where  your  path 
should  cross  them.  Use  your  map,  use  your  memory  of  how  the 
mountain  looked  before  you  entered  the  forest,  use  any  information 
earlier  climbers  may  have  given  you  ;  but  above  all  use  your  eyes. 
Climb  rocks,  or  a  tree  if  necessary,  for  a  glimpse  of  the  distant  peak. 
Watch  the  sun  or  a  compass  so  as  to  keep  tab  on  your  direction. 
And  if  you  find  yourself  hopelessly  confused,  don't  plunge  ahead 
blindly,  but  go  back  to  some  lower  level  and  get  a  fresh  start. 

3.  Here  is  a  composition  that  is  over-paragraphed.     Indicate  which 

sentence  groups  should  be  combined  into  paragraphs,  giving 
your  reasons  for  each  paragraph  combination :  — 


HOW   TO  BE   CLEAR  187 

The  origin  of  conscription,  which  has  led  in  our  day  to  whole 
nations  in  arms,  is  very  interesting. 

In  studying  its  history  one  learns  much  about  the  cause  of  modern 
war. 

At  the  time  of  the  French  Revolution,  all  Europe  united  to  put 
down  the  radicals  of  France  and  restore  the  Bourbon  kings. 

The  French  Republic,  assailed  on  all  sides,  called  every  man 
capable  of  bearing  arms  to  the  defense  of  his  country.  As  a  result, 
the  invaders  were  driven  back,  and,  under  Napoleon,  France  became 
mistress  of  the  continent  of  Europe. 

Later  on  Napoleon  crushed  the  kingdom  of  Prussia  and  com- 
manded that  her  standing  army  should  be  limited  to  a  small  number 
of  men. 

Prussia,  in  self-defense,  arranged  that  all  her  able-bodied  male 
population  should  take  turns  in  serving  in  this  small  army. 

In  this  she  was  really  copying  France  ;  and  sure  enough,  when  the 
next  war  came,  she  was  able  to  put  "a  nation  in  arms"  with  extreme 
rapidity. 

One  result  was  the  fall  of  Napoleon. 

Another  was  the  adoption  by  all  powerful  European  nations  of 
the  conscription  system. 

The  one  exception  was  England,  which  was  protected  by  the 
English  channel  and  her  navy. 

But  the  Great  War  has  brought  conscription  to  England  also. 

4.  Here  are  two  paragraphs  that  are  suitable  as  beginnings  or  in- 
troductions to  compositions.  Why  are  they  good  introductory 
paragraphs?  Can  you  tell  what  should  follow  each  in  the 
completed  composition  ? 

In  discussing  the  growing  of  potatoes  I  must  leave  aside  the 
question  of  varying  price  from  year  to  year  and  the  proper  acreage 
to  plant.  Nor  need  I  give  the  history  of  the  potato,  interesting  as 
that  is.  But  in  this  brief  paper  I  may  at  least  follow  the  potato 
from  the  time  it  enters  the  ground  until  it  is  harvested  and  sent  to 
market. 

EquaUty  is  not  the  same  thing  as  liberty,  although  many  Ameri- 
can boys  are  inclined  to  think  so.  Liberty  means  freedom  to  do 
what  one  pleases.  But  equality  means  not  only  an  equal  oppor- 
tunity for  all  to  do  what  may  be  done  rightly,  but  also  an  equal 


188  GOOD  ENGLISH 

duty  to  the  state  not  to  do  what  may  injure  others.  Equality  means 
equality  in  service  and  in  responsibility,  as  well  as  equality  in  enjoy- 
ing rights  and  liberties,  and  in  the  pursuit  of  happiness. 

5.  Here  are  two  paragraphs  that  are  suitable  as  endings  or  con- 

cluding paragraphs  to  a  composition.  Why  are  they  good 
concluding  paragraphs  ?  Can  you  tell  what  has  preceded  each 
in  the  complete  composition? 

And  thus  the  chief  requisite  for  catching  trout  is  caution  in  ap- 
proaching his  lurking  place.  Your  line  and  rod  may  be  right,  your 
bait  or  flies  may  be  right,  the  day  may  be  favorable,  the  stream 
well  adapted  for  trout,  and  yet  you  may  fail  if  you  fish  for  the  wily 
trout  as  if  he  were  a  stupid  bullhead. 

Perhaps  I  have  said  enough  to  make  you  understand  the  true 
nature  of  education.  It  is  what  a  man  learns  to  do,  not  what  he 
knows.     And  he  must  get  it  himself.     It  cannot  be  given  to  him. 

6.  Here  are  two  paragraphs  that  indicate  in  each  case  that  the 

writer  is  making  a  change  from  one  part  of  his  subject  to 
another.  They  are  called  transition  paragraphs  and  are 
usually  short,  frequently  consisting  of  but  a  single  sentence. 
Can  you  tell  from  examining  these  paragraphs  what  has  pre- 
ceded and  what  is  to  follow? 

And  thus  by  the  efforts  of  one  man  Russia  was  changed.  Under 
this  Peter  the  Great  she  ceased  being  an  Oriental  nation,  and  en- 
tered upon  her  education  as  a  Western  power. 

After  this  crude  beginning  of  the  airplane  industry,  came  a 
period  of  slow  development,  which  ended  only  with  the  beginning  of 
the  Great  War. 

7.  Suppose  that  you  were  going  to  write  a  composition  on  one  of 

the  following.  What  would  you  say  in  the  introductory  para 
graph?  What  would  you  say  in  the  concluding  paragraph? 
What  transitional  paragraphs  would  you  introduce? 

Bill  and  Harry,  a  contrast.  Athletics,  indoors  and  out. 

Mary  and  Ann,  a  contrast.  Rex,  the  king  of  horses. 

Summer  and  winter.  Going  into  camp. 

Day  and  night.  The  closing  of  school. 

Baseball  and  football.  The  day's  work. 


HOW   TO  BE   CLEAR 


189 


8.  It  must  not  be  supposed  that  all  compositions  should  have  in- 

troductory and  concluding  paragraphs.  Frequently  it  is 
better  to  begin  and  conclude  your  composition  abruptly- 
Never  waste  the  time  of  a  reader  or  listener  by  unimportant 
details  at  the  beginning  of  a  composition.  Never  tack  on  at 
the  end  any  tiresome  moral  or  explanation  that  your  audience 
can  as  well  do  without.  Study  the  excerpts  on  pages  172  and 
173,  with  regard  to  methods  of  ending  and  beginning. 

9.  The  rivalry  between  the  boys  and  the  girls  in  war  gardening 

was  a  very  wholesome  thing  for  the  beans,  and  onions,  and 
cabbages.  The  young  gardeners  cultivated  and  weeded  and 
watered  tirelessly.  In  the  picture,  Mary  is  showing  some  of 
the  fruits  —  or,  rather,  the  vegetables  —  of  her  labors.  Jim, 
looking  up  from  his  spade,  is  pledging  himself  to  go  right  ahead 
with  peace  gardens  until  he  beats  the  girls.  Tell  the  story  of 
this  war  garden.  TeU  why  war  gardens  should  be  made  a 
permanent  activity  among  young  people. 


SUCH  TURNIPS 


190  GOOD  ENGLISH 

LESSON  TWENTY  SEVEN 
Making  Paragraphs  Clear 

If  you  were  writing  a  paragraph  picture  of  the  old  swim- 
ming hole  you  would  not  think  of  saying  anything  about  a 
steam  engine.  If  you  were  to  do  so  you  would  spoil  the 
unity  of  the  paragraph  sentence  group.  In  order  to  make 
the  paragraph  on  the  old  swimming  hole  clear,  it  is  necessary 
to  make  every  sentence  in  it  say  something  about  the  pool 
and  about  nothing  else. 

Again,  it  is  necessary  to  have  the  sentences  in  a  paragraph 
follow  each  other  in  natural  order.  The  second  sentence 
must  grow  naturally  out  of  the  first,  may  be  suggested  by  it 
perhaps ;  the  third  out  of  the  second,  and  so  forth.  If  you 
are  describing  the  old  swimming  hole,  the  successive  sentences 
must  give  details  as  they  are  successively  seen  by  the  eye. 
If  you  are  explaining  how  an  operation  is  performed,  you 
must  tell  the  various  steps  in  successive  sentences  exactly 
in  the  order  in  which  they  should  be  taken.  If  you  are 
narrating  an  event,  you  must  unfold  the  happenings,  sen- 
tence by  sentence,  as  they  actually  occurred.  This  principle 
of  developing  one  sentence  out  of  another  and,  in  the  whole 
composition,  one  paragraph  out  of  another,  is  called  co- 
herence. We  have  already  studied  coherence  in  the  sen- 
tence (see  page  155).  Look  the  word  up  in  the  dictionary. 
Find  out  what  verb  corresponds  to  this  noun  and  apply  it 
to  general  use. 

You  will  be  helped  a  great  deal  in  welding  the  sentences 
of  a  paragraph  together  and  making  clear  its  unity  and 
especially  its  coherence,  if  you  will  use  such  connective 
expressions  as  on  the  other  hand,  therefore,  finally,  nevertheless^ 
to  the  right,  later,  still  later,  again,  and  so  forth.    The  parts 


HOW   TO   BE   CLEAR  191 

of  a  whole  composition  may  be  similarly  welded  together  by 
the  use  of  such  transitional  paragraphs  as  are  illustrated  on 
page  188,  exercise  6.  But  these  connectives  will  not  help 
unless  the  thought  of  the  paragraph  is  coherent. 

One  of  the  best  rules  for  securing  unity  and  coherence  in 
the  thought  of  the  paragraph  is  this,  —  Proceed  regularly 
in  one  direction  in  your  thought  development. 

If  you  begin  with  a  general  statement  proceed  to  particular 
ones,  or  vice  versa.  If  you  begin  with  a  cause,  continue 
toward  the  effect.  If  you  begin  with  the  first  thing  that 
happened,  proceed  to  the  second  and  third.  If  with  a 
simple,  well-known  fact,  go  on  to  the  complex  and  the  un- 
known. If  with  a  comparison  between  two  people,  carry 
it  out  to  the  end.  Most  of  these  directions  of  thought  can, 
of  course,  be  reversed. 

But  the  best  method  of  securing  unity  and  coherence  in 
a  paragraph  is  by  the  title  or  topic  sentence.  A  paragraph, 
after  all,  is  only  a  developed  topic  sentence.  Such  a  sentence, 
usually  stated  at  the  beginning  of  a  paragraph,  gives  in 
general  terms  what  the  paragraph  is  about.  It  contains  the 
central  idea  of  the  whole  sentence  group.  It  may  be 
stated  at  the  end  of  the  paragraph,  in  which  case  it  is  called 
a  summary  sentence.  But  its  function  is  the  same  whether 
it  stands  at  the  beginning,  at  the  end,  or  somewhere  between 
these  two  points.  Stated  first,  it  is  a  promise  to  pay.  Stated 
last,  it  is  receipt  for  payment  in  full.  Note  the  topic  sen- 
tences in  the  paragraphs  in  the  selection  on  page  169. 

If  you  expand  such  a  topic  sentence  in  one  direction  of 
thought  development,  the  chances  are  excellent  that  your 
paragraph  will  be  good.  It  cannot  be  spoiled,  indeed,  except 
by  a  lack  of  anything  worth  saying.  Of  nothing,  nothing 
can  be  developed.  But  with  a  meaty  topic  sentence  there 
are  several  means  worth  noting  by  which  paragraphs  may 


192  GOOD  ENGLISH 

be  developed.  Which  you  choose  depends  entirely  upon 
what  you  wish  to  say  in  your  paragraph.  Sometimes  two  or 
more  methods  can  be  easily  combined.  In  the  list  that 
follows,  each  means  of  development  is  illustrated  by  the 
paragraph  beneath :  — 

(1)  Give  examples  and  illustrations  of  your  topic.  Tell  a 
story  perhaps. 

A  little  discipline  is  sometimes  the  best  kind  of  medicine.  I 
knew  a  boy  who  in  '98  was  the  slackest,  most  unmannerly  of  youths. 
He  would  loll  in  his  seat  in  the  classroom,  with  his  feet  up  on  the 
back  of  the  next  seat.  He  was  always  late  to  class,  usually  forgot 
his  books,  seldom  knew  where  the  lesson  was  to  be  found.  He 
enlisted  and  went  into  training  for  the  Spanish  war.  His  company 
never  got  farther  than  the  training  camp,  and  next  year  he  was 
back  with  us  again.  But  what  a  change !  Now  he  sat  at  attention 
and  came  to  class  on  the  minute ;  and  what  was  more  important,  his 
mind  seemed  to  have  been  put  to  drill .  It  was  at  attention  too .  Th e 
result  was  that  he  graduated  well,  instead  of  badly  or  not  at  all. 

(2)  Give  details  and  particulars.  Paint  a  word  picture 
perhaps. 

The  Connecticut  type  of  farmhouse  is  unmistakable,  once  you 
have  seen  it.  Low-lying  under  a  vast  elm,  a  long  straight  roof 
covers  a  neat  white  frame  with  green  shutters.  It  is  all  perfectly 
simple,  perfectly  plain,  except  the  door,  where  columns  or  ornamen- 
tal mouldings  break  monotony.  Why  is  it  so  beautiful  then? 
Because  the  proportions  are  so  invariably  good. 

(3)  Give  reasons  or  explanations.     Tell  why  or  how. 
Running  a  Ford  is  quite  different  from  running  what  some  people 

call  a  "real  car."  You  have  only  two  speeds,  high  and  low,  and 
these  are  controlled  by  a  pedal  instead  of  the  lever  with  which  you 
may  be  familiar.  Push  the  pedal  all  the  way  down,  and  it  is  low 
speed.  Half-way  down  throws  you  into  neutral,  where  the  engine 
runs  free  of  the  transmission.  All  the  way  up  is  high  speed,  and 
it  is  on  this  that  you  bowl  away  most  of  the  time  up  hill  and  down. 


HOW   TO   BE   CLEAR  193 

We  must  learn  that  we  have  duties  as  well  as  rights.  If  we  spend 
all  our  time  talking  about  our  rights  as  citizens  of  this  country,  the 
country  may  perish  because  we  have  forgotten  the  service  we  owe. 
It  is  a  fine  thing  to  have  the  right  to  vote,  but  it  is  still  finer  to  have 
the  duty  to  serve  a  country,  your  own  country,  in  time  of  need. 

(4)  Give  comparisons.  Point  out  differences  or  similarities, 
or  both.  Balance  one  part  of  a  paragraph  with  another,  or  alter- 
nate the  sentences. 

Jim  studies  in  the  living  room  where  the  members  of  the  family 
sit  and  talk.  Mary  takes  a  book  and  goes  upstairs  where  she  can 
be  alone  to  prepare  her  lessons.  Jim  permits  a  thousand  interrup- 
tions during  his  home  study  period.  He  reads  awhile,  then  he 
pats  the  head  of  Browser,  his  pet  Newfoundland.  He  writes  a  line 
or  two,  then  fancies  he  hears  the  bell  ring.  He  figures  a  bit,  then 
he  wants  a  drink  of  water.  Mary  locks  her  door  and  allows  nothing 
to  disturb  her.  She  reads  and  writes  and  figures  steadily  and 
methodically.  When  both  are  ready  for  school  next  morning,  Jim 
''has  an  idea"  what  his  lessons  are  about.  Mary  knows  hers. 
And,  of  course,  in  class  Jim  fails  and  Mary  passes. 

PRACTICE 

1.  Write  a  paragraph  on  each  of  the  following  sentences,  by  the 

method  indicated  in  parentheses  after  each  one :  — 
Mary  always  requires  encouragement.     (Tell  a  story.) 
The  old  house  is  very  homelike.     (Give  details.) 
The  word  buxom  is  used  in  more  than  one  sense.      (Explain.) 
There  is  no  place  like  home.     (Give  reasons.) 

2.  Following  are  several  topic  sentences.     Tell  by  which  of  the 

above  methods  each  could  be  most  appropriately  developed. 
Select  two  or  three  topics  and  write  the  paragraphs  sug- 
gested :  — 

John  is  studious  and  hard-working,  but  his  brother  George  is 
free  and  easy  and  trusts  to  luck. 

We  had  a  great  time  on  Saturday. 

There  is  a  difiference  between  character  and  reputation, 
o 


194  .  GOOD  ENGLISH 

A  stitch  in  time  saves  nine. 

It  is  a  difficult  task  to  write  a  perfect  letter. 

Poetry  is  more  difficult  to  understand  than  prose. 

I  have  many  reasons  for  loving  America. 

Agriculture  thrives  in  the  valleys  of  large  rivers. 

I  must  tell   you,  with  all  the  emphasis  I   can  summon,  that 

hard  work  is  a  tonic  for  any  boy  or  girl. 
Suddenly  our  horses  came  to  a  stand  and  we  were  confronted 

with  a  huge  boa  constrictor  set  for  fight. 
This  view  reminds  me  of  a  little  story  I  once  heard  about  the  place. 
Care  must  be  exercised  in  removing  the  cake  from  the  pan. 
On  entering  the  auditorium  a  thrilling  scene  greeted  my  eyes. 
This  little  episode  shows  exactly  what  sort  of  fellow  John  is. 
I  repeat,  over  and  over  again,  that  the  only  true  and  tested 

way  to  success  is  by  hard  work. 

3.  Write  short  paragraph  descriptions  suggested  by  the  following. 

Start  each  with  a  topic  sentence.  Appeal  to  as  many  senses 
as  possible  in  writing  about  each  one,  —  smell,  taste,  sight, 
touch,  and  hearing  :  — 

The  haymaker.  School  out !  In  the  elevator. 

At  the  wharf.  In  the  kitchen.  At  the  well. 

In  the  barn.  In  the  woods.  In  the  study  room. 

4.  Each  of  the  following  exclamations  suggests  an  incident   of 

importance.     Imagine  what  it  is  in  each  case.     Then  write 

a  brief  paragraph  account  of  one  or  more :  — 

Help !  Look  out !  Forget  it ! 

Ouch !  Wait  a  minute !  They're  off  I 

Hark!  No  sir,  I'm  done!  Of  all  things! 

Late!  I  told  you  sol  The  very  idea! 

Hurry !  Never  again !  Served  him  right ! 

Broke !  What's  the  use !  Some  fight ! 

5.  Prove  two  or  three  of  the  following  by  means  of  well  con- 

structed paragraphs :  — 
English  is  the  most  important  subject  in  school. 
Every  elementary  school  graduate  should  be  able  to  write  a 

correct  letter. 
Club  work  in  school  is  as  important  as  classroom  work. 
Every  pupil  should  be  obliged  to  spend  some  time  in  athletics. 


HOW   TO  BE   CLEAR  195 

A  little  work  outside  of  school  is  good  for  a  boy  or  a  girl. 

Too  much  study  makes  Jack  a  dull  boy. 

A  person  who  is  disloyal  to  the  flag  of  his  adopted  country  should 

be  deported. 
Every  boy  should  have  some  knowledge  of  miHtary  tactics. 

6.  The  following  are  topic  sentences,  each  indicating  the  contents 

of  a  paragraph,  the  group  giving  a  fair  idea  of  what  the  whole 
composition  is  about.  Construct  other  groups  of  topic  sen- 
tences that  suggest  clearlj^  a  whole  composition  :  — 

Par.  1.   He  was  a  loyal  fellow  to  his  school. 

Par.  2.   Pupils  and  teachers  aUke  were  his  friends. 

Par.  3.    He  stood  extremely  well  in  classwork. 

Par.  4.    He  was  an  accomplished  athlete. 

Par.  5.  We  were  consequently  not  surprised  when  we  heard 
of  his  excellent  record  in  McKinley  High  School. 

7.  The  sentences  in  the  following  paragraph  have  been  purposely 

placed  out  of  order.     Place  them  in  their  proper  order,  mak- 
ing any  slight  changes  necessary  in  phrasing,  and  thus  give 
the  paragraph  coherence  :  — 
Sir  Walter  Scott,  for  example,  has  used  those  fragments  of  truth 
which  historians  have  scornfuUj^  thrown  behind  them.     At  Lincoln 
Cathedral  there  is  a  beautiful  painted  window,  which  was  made  by 
an  apprentice  out  of  the  pieces  of  glass  which  had  been  rejected  by 
his  master.     He  has  constructed  out  of  these  fragments  novels 
which,  even  considered  as  histories,  are  scarcely  less  valuable  than 
theirs.     If  a  man  were  to  write  the  history  of  England,  he  would  not 
omit  the  sieges,  the  rebellions,  the  political  changes.     But  with 
these  he  would  mingle  the  interesting  details  which  are  the  charm 
of  historical  romances. 

8.  Write  a  paragraph  from  one  or  more  of  the  following,  giving 

incidents  or  examples  to  prove  the  truth  of  the  topic  sen- 
tences :  — 

He  laughs  best  who  laughs  last. 

Pride  goeth  before  a  fall. 

Silence  is  golden. 

Who  wastes  time  wastes  life. 

Money  makes  the  mare  go. 

In  the  bright  lexicon  of  youth  there  is  no  such  word  as  fail. 


196 


GOOD  ENGLISH 


Success  is  bred  of  a  tonic  called  failure. 
To  try  is  better  than  the  thing  you  try  for. 
Genius  is  nothing  but  capacity  for  hard  work. 

9.    Supply  an  appropriate  word  for  the  dash  in  one  of  the  follow- 
ing topic  sentences.     Then  write  the  paragraph  suggested :  — 

He  told  a  story  to  illustrate  the  influence  that had  over  men. 

The  boy  who  does  not  Uke loses  a  great  deal  in  life. 

Mary's  new  dress  made  her  look  like . 

Jim's  work  on  the  team  won for  him  in  every  quarter. 

10.  Surf  board  riding  is  a  popular  sport  with  the  bathers  on  the 
beautiful  beach  at  Waikiki  near  Honolulu.  It  is  also  in- 
dulged in  at  sea  beach  resorts  nearer  home.  The  picture  below 
shows  what  the  board  is  like  and  how  the  *'  riding  "  is  done. 
Explain  what  each  one  in  the  picture  is  doing.  From  your 
study  of  the  pictm-e  tell  some  one  else  how  to  enjoy  the  sport. 
Make  each  paragraph  count  for  a  definite  point  in  each  ex- 
planation. 


BUllF    BOARD    RIDING. 


HOW   TO  BE   CLEAR  197 

I 

LESSON   TWENTY  EIGHT 
Description 

Very  few  stories  or  explanations  can  be  made  clear  with- 
out picturing  the  scene  or  describing  the  subject  in  words. 
Long  descriptions  are  tedious.  If  you  cannot  describe 
briefly,  you  will  never  describe  successfully  at  all,  for  people 
will  not  listen  to  you.  But  a  brief  description  that  vividly 
reports  the  effect  made  upon  you  by  something  (how  it 
looked  or  felt  or  tasted  or  smelt  or  sounded),  is  invalu- 
able. In  a  story  it  renders  the  whole  action  more  vivid. 
In  an  explanation  it  may  make  all  the  difference  between 
understanding  and  not  understanding.  You  know  how  a 
picture  often  makes  a  story  or  a  chapter  in  history  in- 
finitely more  interesting  because  so  much  more  real.  So 
it  is  with  word  pictures  or  descriptions,  which  can  be  used 
where  illustrations  are  out  of  the  question.  For  with  words 
you  can  describe  a  dream,  a  thought,  a  smell,  a  taste,  or  a 
feeling.  The  word  is  indeed  the  important  element  in 
describing.  You  cannot  describe  well  without  the  best  use 
of  words. 

Examine  the  following  word  pictures  and  descriptive  ex- 
planations. Do  you  get  a  complete  and  accurate  picture  in 
each  case  ?  Could  you  make  a  figure  or  a  plan  of  the  things 
described  ? 

The  Van  Tassel  Farm 

(From  Washington  Irving^ s  Legend  of  Sleepy  Hollow) 

Old  Baltus  Van  Tassel  was  a  perfect  picture  of  a  thriving,  con- 
tented, liberal-hearted  fanner.  He  seldom,  it  is  true,  sent  either 
his  eyes  or  his  thoughts  beyond  the  boundaries  of  his  own  farm; 


198  GOOD  ENGLISH 

but  within  those  everything  was  snug,  happy,  and  well-conditioned. 
He  was  satisfied  with  his  wealth,  but  not  proud  of  it ;  and  piqued 
himself  upon  the  hearty  abundance,  rather  than  the  style  in  which 
he  lived.  His  stronghold  was  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  Hud- 
son, in  one  of  those  green,  sheltered,  fertile  nooks,  in  which  the 
Dutch  farmers  are  so  fond  of  nestling.  A  great  elm-tree  spread 
its  broad  branches  over  it,  at  the  foot  of  which  bubbled  up  a  spring 
of  the  softest  and  sweetest  water,  in  a  little  well,  formed  of  a  barrel, 
and  then  stole  sparkling  away  through  the  grass,  to  a  neighboring 
brook,  that  babbled  along  among  alders  and  dwarf  willows.  Hard 
by  the  farmhouse  was  a  vast  barn,  that  might  have  served  for  a 
church,  every  window  and  crevice  of  which  seemed  bursting  forth 
with  the  treasures  of  the  farm :  the  flail  was  busily  resounding 
within  it  from  morning  to  night ;  swallows  and  martins  skimmed 
twittering  about  the  eaves;  and  rows  of  pigeons,  some  with  one 
eye  turned  up,  as  if  watching  the  weather,  some  with  their  heads 
under  their  wings  or  buried  in'^their  bosoms,  and  others  swelling 
and  cooing  and  bowing  about  their  dames,  were  enjoying  the  sun- 
shine on  the  roof.  Sleek,  unwieldy  porkers  were  grunting  in  the 
repose  and  abundance  of  their  pens,  from  whence  salUed  forth 
now  and  then  troops  of  sucking-pigs,  as  if  to  snuff  the  air.  A  stately 
squadron  of  snowy  geese  was  riding  in  an  adjoining  pond,  convoy- 
ing whole  fleets  of  ducks;  regiments  of  turkeys  were  gobbhng 
through  the  farm-yard;  and  guinea  fowls  fretting  about  it,  like 
ill-tempered  housewives,  with  their  peevish,  discontented  cry. 
Before  the  barn  door  strutted  the  gallant  cock,  that  pattern  of  a 
husband,  a  warrior,  and  a  fine  gentleman,  clapping  his  burnished 
wings,  and  crowing  in  the  pride  and  gladness  of  his  heart  —  some- 
times tearing  up  the  earth  with  his  feet,  and  then  generously  call- 
ing his  ever-hungry  family  of  wives  and  children  to  enjoy  the  rich 
morsel  which  he  had  discovered. 

The  pedagogue's  mouth  watered  as  he  looked  upon  this  sump- 
tuous promise  of  luxurious  winter  fare.  In  his  devouring  mind's 
eye  he  pictured  to  himself  every  roasting-pig  running  about  with 
a  pudding  in  its  belly  and  an  apple  in  its  mouth ;  the  pigeons  were 
snugly  put  to  bed  in  a  comfortable  pie  and  tucked  in  with  a  coverlet 


HOW   TO   BE   CLEAR  199 

of  crust;  the  geese  were  summing  in  their  own  gravy;  and  the 
ducks  pairing  cosily  in  dishes,  like  snug  married  couples,  with  a 
decent  competency  of  onion  sauce.  In  the  porkers  he  saw  carved 
out  the  future  sleek  side  of  bacon  and  juicy,  reUshing  ham ;  not  a 
turkey  but  he  beheld  daintily  trussed  up  with  its  gizzard  under 
its  wing,  and,  perad venture,  a  necklace  of  savory  sausages ;  and 
even  bright  chanticleer  himself  lay  sprawUng  on  his  back  in  a  side 
dish,  with  uplifted  claws,  as  if  craving  that  quarter  which  his  chival- 
rous spirit  disdained  to  ask  while  living. 

Havana 

(By  Amos  J.  Cummings) 

The  view  was  enlivening.  The  Prado  was  bathed  in  the  efful- 
gence of  electric  hghts,  and  the  statue  of  Isabella  adorning  the 
oblong  park  fronting  the  hotel  looked  like  an  alabaster  figure. 
All  was  life  and  activity.  A  cool  breeze  came  from  the  ocean. 
A  stream  of  well-dressed  ladies  and  gentlemen  poured  along  the 
Prado  —  dark-eyed  seiioras  and  seiioritas  with  coquettish  veils, 
volunteers,  regulars,  and  civil  guards,  in  tasty  uniforms,  and  a 
cosmopoUtan  sprinkhng  of  Enghshmen,  Germans,  French,  Itahans, 
and  other  nationalities,  Americans  being  conspicuous.  Low- 
wheeled  carriages  rattled  over  the  pavements  in  scores,  many  filled 
with  ladies  en  masque,  on  their  way  to  the  ball.  Occasionally 
the  notes  of  a  bugle  were  heard,  and  anon  the  cries  of  negro  news- 
boys, shouting  "La  Lucha!" 

The  Hyena's  Howl 

(By  T.  DeWitt  Talmage) 

In  our  tent  in  Palestine  tonight  I  hear  something  I  have 
never  heard  before  and  hope  never  to  hear  again.  It  is  the  voice 
of  a  hyena  amid  the  rocks  nearby.  When  you  may  have  seen  this 
monster  putting  his  mouth  between  the  iron  bars  of  a  menagerie, 
he  is  a  captive  and  he  gives  a  humiliated  and  suppressed  cry.  But 
yonder,  in  the  midnight,  on  a  throne  of  rocks,  he  utters  himself  in 


200 


GOOD  ENGLISH 


a  loud,  resounding,  terrific, 
almost  supernatural  sound, 
splitting  up  the  dark  into  a 
deeper  midnight.  It  be- 
gins in  a  howl  and  ends 
with  a  sound  something  like 
a  horse's  whinnying.  In 
the  hyena's  voice  are  de- 
fiance and  strength  and 
bloodthirstiness  and  crunch- 
ing of  broken  bones  and 
death. 

PRACTICE 

1.  Select  from  the  news- 

paper and  from 
poster  advertise- 
ments descriptive 
words  and  passages. 
Tell  what  they  add 
in  each  case. 

2.  Point    out    descriptive 

passages  in  the  stories 
on  pages  32  to  69, 
and  in  the  poems  on 
pages74to87.  Tell 
what  they  add  in 
each  case. 

3.  Write    descriptions    of 

one  or  more  of  the 
following  for  the 
"Lost  Column"  in 
the  newspaper.  Be 
sure  to  point  out  the 
particular  marks  by 
which  each  may  be 
recognized  and  be  as 
brief  as  you  can :  — 


THE    CADDY. 


HOW   TO   BE   CLEAR  201 

A  dog  A  piece  of  clothing  A  pocket  book 

A  cat  A  piece  of  jewelry  A  horse 

A  hat  An  automobile  A  walking  stick 

4.  Imagine  that  you  have  found  something.     Write  a  description 

of  it  to  be  inserted  in  the  "Found  Column"  of  the  news- 
paper. 

5.  Jim  Blank  is  suspected  of  a  bank  robbery.     You  know  him  well. 

Write  a  brief  description  of  him  that  will  enable  those  who 
do  not  know  him  to  identify  him  on  sight. 

6.  Write  brief  word  pictures  of  certain  members  of  your  class 

without  giving  their  names.  See  if  the  ones  you  have  in  mind 
are  recognized  from  your  description. 

7.  Make  a  Ust  of  the  important  things  you  see  when  you  look  out 

of  your  window. 

8.  Make  a  list  of  words  that  describe  accurately  different  sounds 

you  have  heard;  different  odors;  different  tastes;  differ- 
ent feelings. 

9.  Word  pictures  are  frequently  made  particularly  clear  by  means 

of  comparisons,  —  "the  table  was  shaped  like  a  T,"  "the 
field  looked  like  an  A,"  "the  bay  was  shaped  like  a  fish-hook," 
"the  base  ball  diamond."  Let  us  imagine  that  you  have 
a  friend  who  has  never  seen  an  automobile.  Describe  one 
to  him,  using  as  many  comparisons  as  you  possibly  can. 

10.  Write  a  description  of  the  caddy  portrayed  in   the  picture 
opposite. 

LESSON   TWENTY  NINE 

Planning  a  Description 

Whether  a  description  be  long  or  short  it  must  be  presented 
in  an  orderly  way,  if  it  is  to  be  clear.  What  order  you  choose 
for  your  plan  depends  a  great  deal  upon  what  you  are  pro- 
posing to  describe,  whether  view  or  person  or  object.  But 
there   are  several  general   principles   that   are  applicable. 


202  GOOD   ENGLISH 

There  is  the  point  of  view  from  which  the  writer  looks  as  he 
describes;  there  is  the  general  appearance  of  the  whole; 
there  are  the  particular  details;  and  there  is  frequently  the 
impression  made  upon  the  writer.  Most  descriptions  follow 
this  order,  though  not  always  closely.  Read  the  two  below 
and  note  the  plans  made  from  them  :  — 

From  My  Study  Window 

(From  Nathaniel  Hawthorne's  Mosses  from  an  Old  Manse) 

There  could  not  be  a  more  somber  aspect  of  external  nature 
than  as  then  seen  from  the  windows  of  my  study.  The  great  wil- 
low tree  had  caught  and  retained  among  its  leaves  a  whole  cataract 
of  water,  to  be  shaken  down  at  intervals  by  the  frequent  gusts  of 
wind.  All  day  long,  and  for  a  week  together,  the  rain  was  drip- 
drip-dripping  and  splash-splash-splashing  from  the  eaves  and  bub- 
bhng  and  foaming  into  the  tubs  beneath  the  spouts.  The  old, 
unpainted  shingles  of  the  house  and  outbuildings  were  black  with 
moisture,  and  the  mosses  of  ancient  growth  upon  the  walls  looked 
green  and  fresh,  as  if  they  were  the  newest  things  and  afterthought 
of  Time.  The  usually  mirrored  surface  of  the  river  was  blurred 
by  an  infinity  of  raindrops.  The  whole  landscape  had  a  completely 
water-soaked  appearance,  conveying  the  impression  that  the  earth 
was  wet  through  hke  a  sponge ;  while  the  summit  of  a  wooded  hill, 
about  a  mile  distant,  was  enveloped  in  a  dense  mist,  where  the  de- 
mon of  the  tempest  seemed  to  have  his  abiding-place,  and  to  be 
plotting  still  direr  inclemencies. 

The  Schoolroom 

(From  Charles  Dickens'  David  Copperfleld) 

I  gazed  upon  the  schoolroom  into  which  he  took  me,  as  the  most 
forlorn  and  desolate  place  I  had  ever  seen.  I  see  it  now.  A  long 
room,  with  three  long  rows  of  desks,  and  six  of  forms,  and  bristling 


HOW   TO   BE   CLEAR  203 

all  around  with  pegs  for  hats  and  slates.  Scraps  of  old  copy-books 
and  exercises  litter  the  dirty  floor.  Two  miserable  little  white 
mice,  left  behind  by  their  owner,  are  running  up  and  down  in  a 
fusty  castle  made  of  pasteboard  and  wire,  looking  in  all  the  corners 
with  their  red  eyes  for  anything  to  eat.  A  bird,  in  a  cage  very 
little  bigger  than  himself,  makes  a  mournful  rattle  now  and  then 
in  hopping  on  his  perch,  two  inches  high,  or  dropping  from  it ;  but 
neither  sings  nor  chirps.  There  is  a  strange  unwholesome  smell 
upon  the  room,  like  mildewed  corduroys,  sweet  apples  wanting  air, 
and  rotten  books.  There  could  not  be  more  ink  splashed  about  it, 
if  it  had  been  roofless  from  its  first  construction,  and  the  skies 
had  rained,  snowed,  hailed,  and  blown  ink  through  the  varying 
seasons  of  the  year. 

From  My  Study  Window 

I.   General  view 

1.  Somber  aspect 
II.   Particular  view 

1.  The  willow  tree  cataract 

2.  The  splash  and  the  drip 

3.  The  buildings  made  black 

4.  The  mosses  made  green 

5.  The  blurred  river 
III.   Impression 

1.  Water-soaked  landscape 

2.  As  if  there  were  a  demon  of  the  tempest 

The  Schoolroom 

I.  General  appearance 

1.  Forlorn  and  desolate 

2.  Size  and  furnishing 
II.   Details 

1.  The  scraps  of  copy-books 

2.  The  dirty  floor 

3.  The  mice 


204  GOOD  ENGLISH 

4.  The  bird 

5.  The  smell 

6.  The  splashes  of  ink 

In  the  very  first  sentence,  Hawthorne  tells  whence  he  is 
viewing  the  scene.  He  gives,  in  other  words,  his  point  o/ 
view  and  states  in  his  word  picture  only  what  can  be  seen 
from  that  place.  This  limits  the  picture.  It  serves  as  a 
frame  beyond  which  nothing  can  be  seen.  The  camera 
takes  in  a  picture  from  a  certain  point  of  view.  The  eye  is 
a  kind  of  camera,  but  it  may  glance  from  place  to  place  and 
take  in  bits  here  and  there.  The  person  viewing  a  scene 
may  walk  about  and  take  in  the  view  from  many  angles. 
If  this  is  done,  it  should  be  indicated  in  the  word  picture 
by  such  words  or  phrases  of  transition  as,  —  to  the  right, 
looking  now,  here,  on  that  side,  above,  below,  across.  By  the 
use  of  such  terms  as  these  it  is  possible,  for  instance,  to  lead 
a  person  through  a  rambling  old  house  and  give  an  accurate 
interior  picture  of  it. 

This  human  camera,  the  eye,  is  able  to  put  feeling  and 
imagination  into  a  view.  It  has  the  power  to  select  from  a 
scene  those  things  that  interest  it.  The  camera,  on  the 
other  hand,  must  picture  everything  that  comes  before  it. 
Both  the  eye  and  the  camera,  however,  are  able  to  picture 
motion,  to  present  moving  pictures.  The  action  in  a  parade, 
a  race,  a  fight,  may  be  pictured  both  by  means  of  words  and 
by  means  of  the  screen.  The  ordinary  photographer's 
camera  pictures  only  "still  life,"  such  as  a  landscape. 
It  can  only  suggest  reports  from  the  other  senses,  such  as 
sound,  smell,  taste,  and  touch.  The  moving-picture  camera 
pictures  both  still  life  and  life  in  action.  The  word  picture 
does  more  than  this,  —  it  describes  moods,  manners,  emo- 
tions, interests,  as  well  as  the  merely  external  things  caught 
by  the  camera. 


HOW   TO  BE   CLEAR  205 

PRACTICE 

1.  Plan  and  write  brief  descriptions  of  some  of  the  following :  — 
My  room.  A  news-stand. 

The  view  from  my  window.  A  barn. 

A  snowstorm.  A  house. 

A  heavy  rain.  A  high  building. 

A  store  window.  The  playground. 

A'  cellar.  An  old  country  road. 

2.  Write  brief  descriptions  of  some  of  the  following.     Make  your 

pictures  as  appealing  as  possible  by  means  of  little  touches 

that  a  camera  could  not  get :  — 
A  huckster's  cart.  A  dinner  table. 

A  street  organ.  A  swimming  pool. 

A  plow.  A  busy  man's  desk. 

A  disorderly  room.  A  dark  alley. 

3.  Write  a  little  description  of  the  interior  of  your  school  building, 

or  of  a  trip  through  your  town,  or  of  something  else  in  which  a 
moving  picture  or  view  is  necessary.  Indicate  changes  in 
youi*  point  of  view  as  you  pass  along.  Make  each  change  of 
position  have  a  definite  purpose  in  the  picture  as  a  whole. 

4.  Write  a  description  of  an  automobile  or  of  a  horse  and  wagon, 

first,  standing  still,  then,  in  motion.  What  words,  used  in 
your  first  picture,  are  valueless  as  aids  in  your  second  ?  Ex- 
plain. 

5.  Suppose  you  were  explaining  to  a  carpenter  how  you  want  your 

room  or  your  house  or  your  school  remodeled.  Could  you 
make  your  plans  clearer  to  him  by  inserting  description  here 
and  there?  Just  where  and  how?  Write  your  instructions 
for  him. 

6.  Explain  all  the  ways  in  which  a  word  picture  differs  from  a 

photograph.  Explain  how  a  moving  picture  of  a  Fourth  of 
July  parade  differs  from  your  impression  of  the  same  parade 
as  you  watched  it  from  a  window. 

7.  Select  pictures  in  this  book  in  which  appeal  is  made  to  the  five 

senses, — smell,  taste,  hearing,  touch,  sight.  In  each  case 
express  the  appeal  in  the  best  words  you  can  think  of. 


206  GOOD  ENGLISH 

8.  A  tableau  is  a  picture-like  scene  represented  by  motionless 

persons  in  a  suitable  setting.  Perhaps  you  have  seen  a  group 
of  ball  players  come  to  a  standstill  in  a  momentary  dispute. 
They  formed  a  tableau,  —  the  batter's  hand  was  raised ;  the 
catcher  was  on  guard ;  the  umpire  was  defending  his  decision. 
Then,  after  the  difference  was  settled,  the  game  went  on. 
With  this  in  mind  imagine  yourself  a  word  photographer. 
Picture  one  or  more  of  the  following  in  tableau,  as  "still  life." 
Then  picture  the  scene  that  follows  "the  click  of  the  camera." 
The  drawing  opposite  may  be  suggestive  :  — 

In  our  classroom.  At  dismissal  time. 

In  swimming.  In  trouble,  and  out. 

The  delayed  procession.  A  balky  horse. 

"A  painted  ship  upon  a  painted  ocean." 
Jim's  dose  of  medicine,  before  and  after  taking. 
When  the  car  suddenly  stops. 

9.  Describe  one  of  the  following  so  that  a  person  who  has  never 

seen  it  will  have  a  good  idea  of  it.  Perhaps  it  may  be  well 
to  put  your  description  in  the  form  of  a  letter  to  be  sent  to 
some  one  in  a  foreign  place.  Remember  what  was  said 
about  the  use  of  comparison  on  page  210,  exercise  9  :  — 

Our  new  baby  grand.  An  elevator. 

The  three-cent  stamp.  A  milk  can. 

The  pay-as-you-enter  car.  Our  automobile. 

A  delivery  wagon.  Our  house. 
My  bicycle. 

10.  Imagine  yourself  in  -one  of  the  following  situations.  Describe 
what  you  see  and  what  your  feelings  are.  A  little  study  of 
geography  or  some  other  subject  in  connection  with  the  topic 
you  select  may  be  helpful :  — 

On  a  desert  island.  Under  the  sea. 

Wrecked  in  mid-ocean.  From  Mont  Blanc. 

From  an  airplane.  Thirty  stories  above  the  street. 

On  a  cotton  plantation.  In  Iceland. 

Living  in  a  wigwam.  In  Mammoth  Cave. 


"out! 


208  GOOD  ENGLISH] 

LESSON   THIRTY 

Description  of  People 

When  you  are  describing  a  banjo  or  an  automobile  to 
someone  who  is  unacquainted  with  the  appearance  of  it, 
your  effort  is  to  describe  a  typical  banjo  or  automobile. 
You  picture  all  banjos  or  all  automobiles  in  that  description. 
In  describing  animals  or  people  your  task  is  more  difl&cult, 
for  you  must  describe,  not  an  imaginary  horse,  not  an 
imaginary  man,  but  a  real  one.  You  are  not  describing  a 
typical  horse  or  man,  but  a  special  and  individual  one. 

Descriptions  of  people  or  animals  usually  contain  or  sug- 
gest characteristics.  It  is  often  possible  to  tell  what  a 
person  is  by  telling  what  he  looks  Hke.  Descriptions  of  per- 
sons are  presented  in  two  ways  :  sometimes  there  is  a  single, 
long  description ;  sometimes  the  person  is  described  by  httle 
descriptive  touches  inserted  here  and  there  throughout  the 
story.  Dickens  and  Scott  make  use  of  both  methods,  and 
so  do  many  modern  novelists.  In  short  stories,  personal 
pictures  are  more  frequently  presented  by  means  of  pointed 
descriptive  phrases  that  are  rich  in  suggestion.  Such  quick 
descriptions  as  the  following  are  worth  more  both  as  descrip- 
tion and  characterization  than  whole  pages  could  be :  — 

A  queen  with  a  fair  face  and  a  king  with  a  large  jaw. 

There  ranged  themselves  in  front  of  the  schoolmaster's  desk  half 
a  dozen  scarecrows  ovi  at  the  knees  and  elbows. 

Good  examples  of  quick  description,  both  of  individual  ap- 
pearance and  of  scene,  are  to  be  found  in  Tennyson's  Eagle  : 

He  clasps  the  crag  with  crooked  hands ; 
Close  to  the  sun  in  lonely  lands, 
Ring'd  with  the  azure  world,  he  stands. 


HOW   TO   BE   CLEAR  209 

The  wrinkled  sea  beneath  him  crawls; 
He  watches  from  his  mountain  walls, 
And  like  a  thunderbolt  he  falls. 

In  a  long  personal  description,  plan  your  work  much  as 
if  you  were  describing  a  scene.  In  a  quick  description, 
however,  it  is  the  fortunate  particular  detail  chosen  by  the 
writer,  rather  than  the  plan,  that  counts. 


PRACTICE 

1.  Tell  in  not  more  than  five  or  six  sentences  the  appearance  of  one 

of  the  following.     Suggest  characteristics  by  your  word  pic- 
tures :  — 

Your  mother.         Your  sister.         Your  teacher.         Your  dog. 
Your  father.  Yom*  friend.        Yourself.  Your  cat. 

2.  Write,  in  not  more  than  five  or  six  sentences,  a  descriptive 

impression  of  one  of  the  following :  — 

A  tramp.  A  hen  protecting  her  chickens. 

A  newsboy.  A  duck  in  water. 

A  wet  dog.  A  duck  out  of  water. 

A  lost  child.  A  girl  crying  over  a  failure. 

An  organ  grinder.  A  frightened  horse. 

3.  Describe  by  means  of  a  short  phrase  the  face  of  each  one  of  the 

following :  — 

A  clerk  just  making  a  sale. 

A  fisherman  just  hauling  in  a  fish.  ' 

A  boy  just  notified  of  100  per  cent. 

A  girl  just  notified  of  100  per  cent. 

A  thief  just  caught  by  a  pohceman. 

A  man  just  before  sneezing. 

A  fat  man  just  after  sneezing. 

A  boy  about  to  play  a  trick. 

A  dog  that  has  just  heard  an  interesting  noise. 

4.  Describe  the  interior  of  a  room  or  a  house  so  that  the  reader 

can  tell  what  sort  of  person  the  occupant  is. 
p 


210  GOOD  ENGLISH 

5.  From  your  reading  about  some  character  in  history  or  literature 

write  a  brief  picture  of  him.     Perhaps  it  is  Shylock  or  Caesar 
or  Roderick  Dhu,  or  Washington  or  Lincoln  or  Grant. 

6.  Write  brief  pictures  of  several  of  the  following.     Make  each 

picture  reveal  character :  — 
Sister,  playing  the  piano.  Mother,  sewing. 

Teacher,  taking  the  roll.  Father,  reading. 

Tom,  driving.  Conductor,  collecting  fares. 

Brother,  at  dinner.  Mary,  doing  her  hair. 

7.  Write  a  brief  description  of  an  old  person.     Then  write  a 

description  of  this  person  as  you  imagine  he  or  she  must  have 
been  many  years  ago. 

8.  Write  a  brief  description  of  a  fox,  a  rabbit,  or  a  squirrel,  so  that 

the  animal  will  appear  to  have  human  understanding  and 
emotions. 

9.  Select  from  the  stories  (pages  32  to  69)  and  poems  (pages  74 

to  87)  phrases  and  sentences  that  both  picture  and  charac- 
terize persons. 
10.   Write  a  still-life  picture  of  a  person  in  a  mood  suggested  by  the 
following.     Then  write  a  picture  of  the  same  person  in  mo- 
tion :  — 
lonely        disturbed        disagreeable        disgusted        blue 
gay  nervous  courageous  hurt  calm 

LESSON  THIRTY  ONE 

Poetry  that  Explains  and  Describes 

Read  the  following  poems  and  be  able  to  talk  about  each 
one  before  the  class.  Note  the  use  of  description  and  ex- 
planation. 

It  Couldn't  Be  Done^ 
(From  Edgar  A.  Guest's  Breakfast  Table  Chat) 

Somebody  said  that  it  couldn't  be  done, 
But  he  with  a  chuckle  replied 
^  Used  by  permisaion  of  the  author  and  of  the  Reilly-Britton  CJompany. 


HOW   TO  BE   CLEAR  211 

That  maybe  "  it  couldn't,"  but  he  would  be  one 

Who  wouldn't  say  so  till  he'd  tried. 
So  he  buckled  right  in  with  the  trace  of  a  grin 

On  his  face.     If  he  worried,  he  hid  it. 
He  started  to  sing  as  he  tackled  the  thing 

That  couldn't  be  done,  and  he  did  it. 

Somebody  scoffed :  "  Oh,  you^ll  never  do  that ; 

At  least  no  one  ever  has  done  it." 
But  he  took  off  his  coat  and  he  took  off  his  hat, 

And  the  first  thing  we  knew  he'd  begun  it. 
With  a  lift  of  his  chin  and  a  bit  of  a  grin. 

Without  any  doubting  or  quiddit. 
He  started  to  sing  as  he  tackled  the  thing 

That  couldn't  be  done,  and  he  did  it. 

There  are  thousands  to  tell  you  it  cannot  be  done ; 

There  are  thousands  to  prophesy  failure ; 
There  are  thousands  to  point  out  to  you  one  by  one 

The  dangers  that  wait  to  assail  you. 
But  just  buckle  in  with  a  bit  of  a  grin ; 

Just  take  off  your  coat  and  go  to  it ; 
Just  start  in  to  sing  as  you  tackle  the  thing 

That  "  cannot  be  done,"  and  you'll  do  it. 


The  Blind  Men  and  the  Elephant.    A  Hindoo  Fable 
(By  John  Godfrey  Saxe) 

It  was  six  men  of  Indostan 

To  learning  much  inclined, 
Who  went  to  see  the  Elephant 

(Though  all  of  them  were  blind), 
That  each  by  observation 

Might  satisfy  his  mind. 


212  GOOD   ENGLISH 

The  First  approached  the  Elephant, 

And  happening  to  fall 
Against  his  broad  and  sturdy  side, 

At  once  began  to  bawl : 
"God  bless  me !  but  the  Elephant 

Is  very  like  a  wall ! " 

The  Second,  feeling  of  the  tusk, 
Cried,  "Ho !  what  have  we  here 

So  very  round  and  smooth  and  sharp? 
To  me  'tis  mighty  clear 

This  wonder  of  an  Elephant 
Is  very  Uke  a  spear !" 

The  Third  approached  the  animal. 

And  happening  to  take 
The  squirming  trunk  within  his  hands. 

Thus  boldly  up  and  spake : 
"I  see,"  quoth  he,  "the  Elephant 

Is  very  lilce  a  snake !" 

The  Fourth  reached  out  an  eager  hand. 

And  felt  about  the  knee. 
"What  most  this  wondrous  beast  is  like 

Is  mighty  plain,"  quoth  he; 
"'Tis  clear  enough  the  Elephant 

Is  very  like  a  tree!" 

The  Fifth  who  chanced  to  touch  the  ear 
Said  :  "E'en  the  blindest  man 

Can  tell  what  this  resembles  most ; 
Deny  the  fact  who  can, 

This  marvel  of  an  Elephant 
Is  very  like  a  fan!" 

The  Sixth  no  sooner  had  begun 
About  the  beast  to  grope, 


HOW   TO  BE   CLEAR  213 

Than,  seizing  on  the  swinging  tail 

That  fell  within  his  scope, 
"I  see,"  quoth  he,  "the  Elephant 

Is  very  like  a  rope !" 

And  so  these  men  of  Indostan 

Disputed  loud  and  long, 
Each  in  his  own  opinion 

Exceeding  stiff  and  strong. 
Though  each  was  partly  in  the  right 

And  all  were  in  the  wrong ! 


Going  Downhill  on  a  Bicycle 


(By  Henry  Charles  Beeching) 

With  lifted  feet,  hands  still, 
I  am  poised,  and  down  the  hill 
Dart,  with  heedful  mind ; 
The  air  goes  by  in  a  wind. 

Swifter  and  yet  more  swift. 
Till  the  heart  with  a  mighty  lift 
Makes  the  lungs  laugh,  the  throat  cry 
"O  bird,  see;  see,  bird,  I  fly. 

"Is  this,  is  this  your  joy? 
O  bird,  then  I,  though  a  boy, 
For  a  golden  moment  share 
Your  feathery  life  in  air ! " 

Say,  heart,  is  there  aught  like  this 
In  a  world  that  is  full  of  bliss? 
'Tis  more  than  skating,  bound 
Steel-shod  to  the  level  ground. 


214  GOOD  ENGLISH 

Speed  slackens  now,  I  float 
Awhile  in  my  airy  boat ; 
Till,  when  the  wheels  scarce  crawl, 
My  feet  to  the  treadles  fall. 

Alas,  that  the  longest  hill 
Must  end  in  a  vale ;  but  still, 
Who  climbs  with  toil,  wheresoe'er, 
Shall  find  wings  waiting  there. 


Mr.  Nobody 
(Author  Unknown) 

I  know  a  funny  little  man. 

As  quiet  as  a  mouse, 
Who  does  the  mischief  that  is  done 

In  everybody's  house ! 
There's  no  one  ever  sees  his  face. 

And  yet  we  all  agree 
That  every  plate  we  break  was  cracked 

By  Mr.  Nobody. 

'Tis  he  who  always  tears  our  books, 

Who  leaves  the  door  ajar. 
He  pulls  the  buttons  from  our  shirts. 

And  scatters  pins  afar ; 
That  squeaking  door  will  always  squeak 

For,  prithee,  don't  you  see, 
We  leave  the  oihng  to  be  done 

By  Mr.  Nobody. 

He  puts  damp  wood  upon  the  fire. 

That  kettles  cannot  boil ; 
His  are  the  feet  that  bring  in  mud, 

And  all  the  carpets  soil. 


HOW   TO  BE   CLEAR  215 

The  papers  always  are  mislaid, 

Who  had  them  last  but  he  ? 
There's  no  one  tosses  them  about 

But  Mr.  Nobody. 

The  finger-marks  upon  the  door 

By  none  of  us  are  made ; 
We  never  leave  the  bUnds  unclosed, 

To  let  the  curtains  fade. 
The  ink  we  never  spill,  the  boots 

That  lying  round  you  see 
Are  not  our  boots ;  they  all  belong 

To  Mr.  Nobody. 


LESSON  THIRTY  TWO 
Words 

In  the  chapter  on  Interest  (see  page  6)  you  have  al- 
ready learned  how  important  the  choice  of  words  must 
always  be  if  you  intend  to  be  interesting.  But  now  it  must 
be  apparent  that  for  clearness  the  choice  of  the  right  word  is 
even  more  important.  Thanks  to  your  studies,  your  read- 
ing, and  your  conversation,  you  are  furnished  with  a  good 
vocabulary.  But,  in  endeavoring  to  explain  or  to  describe, 
you  must  have  felt  how  difficult  is  the  pen's  path  for  the 
writer  who  is  not  possessed  of  the  right  words.  With  the 
importance  of  words  brought  home  to  you  by  experience, 
consider,  then,  their  nature  and  services  a  little  more  closely. 

To  be  clear,  you  must,  whenever  possible,  use  simple  words. 
It  is  a  good  rule  to  avoid  a  long  or  a  high-sounding  word, 
when  a  modest  little  one  will  do.  ''The  fire  heroes  extin- 
guished the  conflagration  "  is  not  nearly  so  clear  or  so  effective 
as  "The  firemen  put  out  the  fire." 


216  GOOD  ENGLISH 

Words  should  be  exact  and  precise  in  the  meanings  they 
convey.  If  they  are  not,  they  will  leave  a  confused  impres- 
sion upon  the  one  who  hears  or  reads  them.  To  some  girls 
and  boys  nearly  everything  that  happens  is  nice  or  awful. 
Both  these  words  are  proper  only  when  used  in  proper  rela- 
tions. There  is  no  such  thing  as  an  awful  lesson  or  a  nice 
game.  These  expressions  are  not  exact  for  the  reason  that 
awful  and  nice  do  not  mean  what  they  are  intended  to  con- 
vey. By  the  ''awful  lesson"  is  probably  meant  a  long  or  a 
difficult  lesson,  but  awful  does  not  mean  either  long  or  difficult. 
Nice  does  not  mean  interesting  or  successful,  yet  such  a  mean- 
ing is  evidently  implied  by  the  above  expression.  Study 
word  meanings  exactly.  However  small  your  vocabulary  may 
be,  see  to  it  that  you  can  use  the  words  you  own  with  exact- 
ness and  precision. 

Some  words  are  general  in  meaning;  others  are  special. 
Athletics,  for  instance,  is  a  general  word.  It  includes  a  great 
many  different  kinds  or  classifications;  baseball,  football, 
handball,  tennis,  running,  swimming,  hockey,  and  so  forth 
are  all  names  of  special  games  belonging  to  the  general 
word  athletics.  Now,  the  general  word  athletics  is  valuable. 
You  could  not  get  along  without  it  in  talking  about  school 
sports.  But  whenever  possible  use  special  words,  for  they 
convey  a  far  clearer  and  far  more  definite  meaning  than 
general  terms.  You  may  have  heard  the  expressions,  "Give 
me  the  particulars,"  "Give  me  the  details."  These  are 
simple,  everyday  requests  for  special  rather  than  general 
words. 

It  is  important  to  remember  that  special  words  can  be 
drawn  out  of  general  ones  very  much  as  the  links  of  a  tele- 
scope are  drawn  out  from  one  another.  The  word  structure, 
for  instance,  is  a  general  word.  Building  is  a  little  more 
special.    House  is  still  more  special;    the  word  picture  is 


HOW   TO   BE   CLEAR  217 

beginning  to  gain  definite  shape  in  our  minds.  Dwelling 
is  more  special  than  house.  Home  and  cottage  are  more 
special  still.  These  last  are  genuine  picture  words.  In- 
deed, most  special  words  have  a  power  to  picture  that  general 
words  do  not  possess. 

And  this  suggests  another  useful  distinction  in  words. 
All  words  name  something  definite  —  honor,  machine,  fire- 
side, home,  appendicitis,  crawling,  blue.  Each  of  these  names 
a  thing  or  a  quahty  or  an  action.  But  many  words  not  only 
name,  they  carry  associations  with  them  and  so  stir  the 
feelings.  In  the  list  above,  fireside,  honor,  home,  all  are 
charged  with  associations  and  stir  our  emotions.  Appendi- 
citis, blue,  machine,  crawling,  do  little  more  than  name. 
Compare  home  with  residence,  or  fireside  with  vestibule,  and 
the  difference  will  be  apparent.  The  first  are  rich  in  as- 
sociation, the  second  are  names  merely.  Words  that  carry 
associations  with  them  are  very  much  more  pictorial  than 
words  that  merely  name. 

The  distinction  between  general  words  and  special  words, 
and  between  name  words  and  association  words  is  most 
valuable  in  descriptions,  in  stories,  and  in  poetry,  where 
writing  must  be  vivid  if  it  is  to  depict  clearly  the  scene,  the 
'^.vents,  or  the  emotions  that  are  revealed. 

PRACTICE 

1.  Select  six  association  words  from  some  poem  in  this  book.     Ex- 

plain why  they  are  association  words.  Give  other  words  foi 
them  meaning  almost  the  same  thing  and  conveying  no  as- 
sociation at  all. 

2.  Select  six  special  words  from  some  story  in  this  book.     Make 

each  one  more  special.  Give  the  most  general  word  you  can 
think  of  for  each  one. 

3.  Examine  the  following  word  groups.     What  is  the  difference 

in  meaning  among  the  words  in  each  group?     After  yor 


218  GOOD  ENGLISH 

have  thought  about  them  and  discussed  them  with  your 
classmates,  consult  the  dictionary  :  — 

(1)  Love,  affection,  esteem,  regard,  devotion. 

(2)  Think,  reason,  calculate,  guess,  imagine,  suppose,  fancy. 

(3)  Good,  kind,  wholesome,  generous. 

(4)  Honest,  trustful,  frank,  candid,  genuine. 

(5)  Awful,  dreadful,  terrible,  fearful,  frightful,  horrible. 

(6)  Pretty,  lovely,  handsome,  beautiful,  attractive. 

(7)  Rattle,  chatter,  blurt,  gabble,  gossip,  tattle,  prattle. 

(8)  Fierce,  ferocious,  furious,  impetuous,  dangerous. 

(9)  Fraud,  cheat,  deceit,  trick,  imposture. 

(10)  Free,  clear,  exempt,  independent,  unchecked,  at  liberty. 

4.  Compose  sentences  illustrating  the  correct  use  of  the  words  in 

each  of  the  following  groups :  — 

(1)  Ancient,  antique,  old-fashioned. 

(2)  Answer,  reply,  retort. 

(3)  Defeat,  loss,  ruin. 

(4)  Neglect,  default,  carelessness. 

(5)  Politeness,  courtesy,  manners. 

(6)  Postponement,  adjournment,  delay. 

(7)  Remain,  stop,  stay. 

(8)  Spectator,  auditor,  participant. 

(9)  Success,  victory,  achievement. 
(10)  Trade,  employment,  profession. 

5.  Supply  special  words  for  the  following  general  ones :  — 

animal  literature  stone  word 

exercise  sound  water  work 

6.  Select  as  many  special  words  as  possible,  principally  verbs,  ad- 

verbs, or  adjectives,  to  describe  each  of  the  following :  — 
brook  dancing  morning  store 

crying  darkness  music  storm 

7.  Perhaps  you  know  some  one  who  has  a  peculiarity  in  manner 

or  dress  or  action.  Describe  him  in  a  few  brief  sentences, 
using  as  many  special  words  as  you  can.  Make  them  as 
pictorial  as  possible. 

8.  The  following  phrases  suggest  pictures.     Express  each  one  in 

general  terms  carrying  no  special  association  with  them :  — 


HOW    TO   BE   CLEAR  219 

A  romantic  moonlight  night. 

A  meadow  bedded  with  buttercups. 

A  rambling,  scrambling  river. 

A  roaring,  rushing,  swirling,  swishing  cataract. 

A  hobbling,  hampered  cripple. 

A  shambUng,  staggering  drunkard. 

A  tiny,  tiptoeing  maiden. 

9.  Explain  in  general  terms,  to  your  father  or  mother  perhaps, 
just  how  your  school  program  is  arranged.  Then  explain 
it  in  particular  terms  to  a  young  person  of  your  own  age  who 
is  attending  another  school.  Point  out  the  differences  be- 
tween the  two  explanations. 

10.  Explain  why  the  following  expressions  are  not  exact  and  pre- 

cise.    Convert  each  one  into  an  exact  and  precise  form :  — 
I  am  awfully  tired. 
I  am  starved  to  death. 
This  cake  is  perfectly  lovely. 
Isn't  she  just  too  perfectly  dear? 
It's  a  terribly  hot  day. 
What  a  horrible  time  I  had ! 
The  concert  was  colossally  excellent. 
Scott's  novels  fascinate  me. 

11.  Are  the  following  words  special  or  general?     Explain  each 

one :  — 

artifice  clenched  lull  seraggly 

broncho  guttural  lilt  tremolo 

bristling  gringo  quivering  whimpering 

12.  Point  out  the  especially  appropriate  words  in  the  following 

selection.     Tell  why  you  think  each  one  appropriate :  — 

The  Smpi 

(From  John  Masefield's  The  Dauber) 

They  stood  there  by  the  rail  while  the  swift  ship 
Tore  on  out  of  the  tropics,  straining  her  sheets, 
Whitening  her  trackway  to  a  milky  strip, 

1  Used  by  permission  of  The  Macmillan  Company. 


220  GOOD  ENGLISH 

Dim  with  green  bubbles  and  twisted  water  meets, 
Her  clacking  tackle  tugged  at  pins  and  cleats, 
Her  great  sails  bellied  stiff,  her  great  masts  leaned : 
They  watched  how  the  seas  struck  and  burst  and  greened. 


••  THE    TRAIL  BLAZERS. 

13.  The  scouts  are  having  a  fine  time  blazing  a  trail.  Tell  your 
classmates  just  what  you  see  in  the  above  picture.  Have 
them  note  the  special  words  you  are  obliged  to  use.  It  may 
be  interesting  to  connect  this  picture  with  the  one  on  page 
167.    Perhaps  the  selection  on  page  173  may  also  be  related 

LESSON  THIRTY  THREE 

Clearness  in  Speaking 

Most  of  what  has  been  said  in  the  previous  lessons  applies 
to  speech  as  well  as  to  writing.    But  there  are  certain 


HOW   TO   BE   CLEAR  221 

hindrances  to  clearness  that  belong  particularly  to  speech. 
Mispronunciations,  as  pointed  out  in  Lesson  14,  page  103, 
may  often  interfere  with  the  attention  of  an  audience,  but 
a  single  mispronounced  word  in  a  sentence  is  by  no  means 
so  serious  an  obstacle  to  clearness  as  are  frequent  miscon- 
structions. Furthermore,  the  ear  is  not  so  sensitive,  as  a 
rule,  to  mispronunciation  as  it  is  to  bungling  construction 
and  common  errors.  Cultivate  an  ear  for  correct  English. 
To  listen  well  almost  invariably  means  to  speak  well.  See 
to  it  that  your  spoken  sentences  are  clear  in  form  and  con- 
struction. Do  not  confuse  your  listeners  by  keeping  them 
in  doubt  as  to  the  connection  and  the  relation  of  your  ideas. 

1.  Do  not  string  all  of  your  ideas  together  by  means  of 
and  or  hut,  or  and-a  and  hut-a,  and  thus  make  extremely 
long  sentences.  This  is  a  common  mistake  in  the  speech 
of  young  people  and  there  is  none  that  is  more  confusing  to 
an  audience.  Let  those  to  whom  you  are  speaking  hear 
your  periods ;  make  them  conscious  of  the  beginning  of  new 
sentences  in  your  speech.  Make  your  sentences  short  and 
keep  them  distinct  from  one  another. 

2.  Do  not  begin  to  talk  with  well  or  well-a,  why,  now,  say, 
listen.  They  are  signs  of  hesitation  but  they* do  not  cure 
hesitation.  If  your  words  do  not  flow  rapidly,  allow  yourself 
brief  silences.  There  is  no  harm  in  occasional  silences  in 
conversation.  Indeed,  they  are  to  be  cultivated,  for  they 
give  your  hearers  time  to  digest  what  you  have  said,  and 
they  give  you  time  to  form  clearly  what  you  wish  to  say. 

3.  When  you  are  asked  why,  do  not  answer  because.  In 
ordinary  conversation  oftentimes  a  word  or  a  phrase  is  all 
that  may  be  required  for  complete  answering.  But  when 
you  wish  to  convey  information,  it  is  better  to  put  youi 
answers,  however  brief,  in  complete  sentence  form. 

4.  Do  not  insert  a  superfluous  he  or  she  or  they  or  then 


222  GOOD  ENGLISH 

in  your  spoken  sentence.  The  word  they  in  The  girls  they 
went  is  unnecessary  and  therefore  confusing.  The  person 
who  makes  use  of  this  misconstruction  in  speech  rarely 
makes  the  same  mistake  in  writing. 

Then  used  between  the  subject  and  predicate  may  quite 
properly  indicate  time.  But  some  speakers  overuse  it,  as, 
—  He  then  went  home  and  they  then  talked  about  him.  It  is 
likewise  frequently  overused  at  the  beginning  of  sentences, 
as,  —  Then  he  went  and  then  they  began  to  talk  about  him. 
Then  father  left.     Use  this  word  only  when  it  is  required. 

5.  Guard  against  the  following  common  errors.  They  are 
more  likely  to  occur  in  speech  because  the  ear  very  frequently 
passes  what  the  eye  would  hold  up.  ''It  doesn't  sound  right " 
should  be  as  important  a  guide  as  "It  doesn't  look  right"  :  — 

(1)  Do  not  use  here  or  there  after  this  or  that,  as,  —  This 
here  book,  That  there  desk.  Here  and  there  are  adverbs  and 
cannot  modify  nouns. 

(2)  Do  not  use  ainH,  or  its  worse  form,  hainH.  They  are 
contractions  for  am  not,  are  not,  is  not,  have  not,  that  have 
never  been  accepted  by  good  speakers. 

(3)  Do  not  use  donH  with  a  singular  subject,  as,  —  He 
donH.  She  donH.  It  donH.  DonH  is  a  contraction  of  do  not. 
He  do  not  sounds  absurd,  yet  this  is  just  what  is  said  when 
he  don't  is  used.  Doesn't  is  the  proper  form  to  use  with  a 
singular  subject,  as,  —  He  doesn't.  She  doesn't.  It  doesn't. 
This  is  one  of  the  most  common  errors  in  English  speech. 
It  does  not  occur  so  frequently  in  writing. 

(4)  Do  not  use  the  double  negative,  that  is,  do  not  use 
the  word  not  or  its  equivalent  twice  in  the  same  sentence. 
In  /  haven't  none,  for  instance,  none  expresses  a  negative  as 
also  does  n't  in  haven't.  The  sentence  therefore  does  not 
express  the  meaning  intended.  /  haven't  any  or  /  have  none 
is  the  correct  form  for  the  meaning  to  be  conveyed.     This 


HOW   TO   BE  CLEAR  223 

error  is  likely  to  be  made  with  the  contractions  havenH, 
hasnH,  hadnH,  isnH,  aren't,  can't,  don't,  doesn't,  won't. 

(5)  Do  not  use  the  present  tense  of  come  for  the  past 
came,  and  do  not  use  the  past  participle  of  verbs  for  the 
past  tense,  as  begun  for  began,  sung  for  sang,  done  for  did, 
drunk  for  drank,  swum  for  swam.  She  came  home  last  night 
not  She  come  home  last  night.  I  did  it  this  morning  not  /  done 
it  this  morning.  Make  a  list  of  your  troublesome  verbs  and 
study  the  proper  use  of  each  in  this  respect. 

(6)  Do  not  use  a  singular  subject  with  a  plural  verb  or  a 
plural  verb  with  a  singular  subject.  Each,  every,  any,  none, 
either  alone  or  in  combination,  are  always  singular  and  re- 
quire a  singular  construction.  In  a  sentence  having  a 
singular  subject  there  may  be  a  plural  noun  just  before  the 
predicate  that  will  mislead  a  speaker  into  using  a  plural 
verb.  In,  —  One  of  the  fellows  was  going,  one  is  the  singular 
subject  of  the  predicate  was.  But  the  plural  noun  fellows, 
coming  directly  before  was,  may  easily  cause  such  a  mistake 
as,  —  One  of  the  fellows  were  going. 

PRACTICE 

1.  It  is  not  pleasant  to  criticize  unfavorably,  yet  such  criticism 

is  oftentimes  most  helpful.  Moreover,  it  may  be  offered  in 
a  kindly  spirit.  Select  from  the  speech  of  your  classmates 
such  errors  as  you  can  note,  and  correct  them. 

2.  Favorable  criticism  is  quite  as  valuable  as  unfavorable  and  it 

is  certainly  pleasanter  to  make.  Select  from  the  speech  of 
your  classmates  and  teachers  specimens  of  speech  that  stand 
out  as  being  excellent  models  to  follow. 

3.  Tell  what  is  wrong  with  each  of  the  following  sentences,     ihen 

express  it  correctly.  Depend  upon  your  ear  as  far  as  possible 
both  in  noting  the  error  and  in  correcting  it :  — 

(1)  This  here  book  ain't  no  good. 

(2)  He  don't  study  hard  enough. 


224  GOOD  ENGLISH 

(3)  When  we  arrived  the  music  had  began. 

(4)  Every  one  of  the  girls  have  passed. 

(5)  His  mother  rushed  to  meet  him  when  he  come  in. 

(6)  I  haven't  seen  nothing  of  him  all  day. 

(7)  John  together  with  Sam  and  George  are  going  to  the  picnic. 

(8)  They  have  came  with  your  trunk. 

(9)  She  don't  think  that  he  sung  well. 

(10)  None  were  there  to  do  nothing  for  him  when  the  accident 
occurred. 

4.  Use  some  of  the  following  subjects  for  brief  talks  before  the 
class.  Criticize  one  another  helpfully  as  to  the  faults  in  speech 
discussed  in  this  chapter :  — 

Making  a  frock.  Tending  to  the  furnace. 

Marks.  Nervous ! 

Being  kept  in.  She  forgot ! 

My  speech  troubles.  Teacher's  English. 

Your  speech  troubles.  Home  English. 

Speaking  and  writing.  Pupils'  English. 

Bluffing.  Hearing  mistakes. 

Doing  the  dishes.  Seeing  mistakes. 

Explanation  of  a  problem  in  mathematics. 

Explanation  of  an  experiment. 

Explanation  of  dorCt  and  doesn't. 

,  5.  The  ideas  in  the  following  sentence  groups  are  strung  together 
by  ands  and  other  connectives.  Read  them  aloud  to  your 
class,  omitting  needless  conjunctions,  and  indicating  by  your 
voice  where  sentences  should  begin  and  end :  — 

(1)  Minnetonka  means  Happy  Laughter  and  the  Law  of  the 

Fire  says  "Be  Happy"  and  I  have  tried  to  earn  my  right 
to  this  name  by  washing  the  dishes  every  morning  for 
two  weeks  and  being  happy  while  I  was  doing  it,  and  so 
as  my  symbol,  I  have  chosen  the  Black-Eyed  Susan  be- 
cause I  have  brown  eyes  and  because  the  yellow  of  the 
petals  stands  for  sunshine  and  I  want  sunshine  in  my  eyes 
for  every  one. 

(2)  A  group  of  school  girls  took  up  national  service  as  the  basis 

for  their  weekly  program  and  one  meeting  was  given  over 
to  the  study  of  conservation,  each  girl  bringing  in  brief 


HOW   TO  BE   CLEAR  225 

reports  on  the  conservation  of  streams,  birds,  and  trees, 
and  then  another  evening  was  spent  in  learning  genuine 
Indian  songs  which  were  sung  at  every  meeting  and  a 
third  evening  was  planned  for  the  telling  of  Indian  legends 
which  the  girls  had  read  during  the  week. 
(3)  The  scout's  badge  is  not  specifically  intended  to  represent 
either  the  fleiu'-de-Hs  or  an  arrowhead,  although  it  re- 
sembles both,  but  it  is  a  modified  form  of  the  sign  of  the 
north  on  the  mariner's  compass  which  is  as  old  as  the 
history  of  navigation  for  the  Chinese  claim  its  use  among 
them  as  early  as  2634  b.c.  and  we  have  definite  informa- 
tion that  it  was  used  at  sea  by  them  as  early  as  300  a.d. 
and-a  Marco  Polo  brought  the  compass  to  Europe  on 
his  return  from  Cathay  and  the  sign  of  the  north  on  the 
compass  gradually  came  to  represent  the  north  and 
pioneers,  trappers,  woodsmen,  and  scouts,  because  of 
this,  adopted  it  as  their  emblem  but  through  centuries 
of  use  it  has  undergone  modification  and-a  so  now  then 
we  have  taken  its  shape  as  that  of  our  badge  which  is 
further  distinguished  by  a  shield  and  the  American 
eagle  superimposed. 

6.  Imagine  yourself  a  manager  or  a  salesman.     Talk  to  yoiu*  class- 

mates in  clear-cut  English  upon  some  of  the  following  sub- 
jects, trying  to  prevail  upon  them :  — 
(a) 

To  attend  a  certain  game. 

To  give  money  for  a  worthy  cause. 

To  enter  a  contest. 

To  join  a  school  club. 

To  contribute  money  for  a  gift. 
(h) 

To  buy  the  school  paper. 

To  buy  a  certain  kind  of  sweater. 

To  buy  a  school  pennant. 

To  buy  a  school  cap. 

To  buy  a  certain  emblem,  such  as  pin  or  buckle. 

7.  Read  the  following  story  to  your  classmates  in  two  ways :  first, 

in  one  even  monotonous  tone ;  second,  with  expression.     Ask 
them  to  tell  you  what  was  gained  by  your  second  reading :  -^ 
Q 


226  GOOD  ENGLISH 

The  ground  of  a  certain  rich  man  brought  forth  plentifully :  and 
he  reasoned  within  himself,  saying,  What  shall  I  do,  because  I  have 
not  where  to  bestow  my  fruits  ?  And  he  said,  This  will  I  do  :  I  will 
pull  down  my  barns,  and  build  greater ;  and  there  will  I  bestow  all 
my  grain  and  my  goods.  And  I  will  say  to  my  soul,  Soul,  thou  hast 
much  goods  laid  up  for  many  years ;  take  thine  ease,  —  eat,  drink, 
be  merry. 

But  God  said  unto  him.  Thou  fooUsh  one,  this  night  is  thy  soul 
required  of  thee ;  and  the  things  which  thou  hast  prepared,  whose 
shalt  they  be  ?  So  is  he  that  layeth  up  treasure  for  himself,  and  is 
not  rich  toward  God. 

8.  The  following   are    answers   to  questions.     State  them  more 

clearly.  Construct  the  question  for  which  each  is  an  answer :  — 

(1)  Why,  it  flows  southward  practically  the  whole  length  of  the 

country,  and  then  it  forms  a  delta,  and  then  flows  into 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

(2)  Well,  if  you  haven't  any  rudder  don't  turn  yoiu-  head  around 

all  the  time  to  see  where  you  are  rowing,  but  fix  your 
eye  upon  some  definite  object  ahead  and-a  keep  your  boat 
moving  in  that  relation  to  it  that  will  take  you  where 
you  want  to  go. 

(3)  Say,  when  you  scull  a  boat  you  propel  it  by  a  single  oar 

at  the  stern  and  you  should  have  a  rowlock  or  a  semi- 
circular scoop  at  the  stern  and  you  propel  the  boat  by 
working  the  oars  at  the  stern  obUquely  from  side  to  side. 

(4)  Listen,  if  your  clothing  should  catch  fire  do  not  run  for  help 

as  this  will  fan  the  flames  but  he  down  and  roll  up  as 
tightly  as  possible  in  an  overcoat,  blanket,  rug,  or  any 
woolen  article  but  if  nothing  can  be  obtained  in  which  to 
wrap  up,  he  down  and  roll  over  slowly  at  the  same  time 
beating  the  fire  with  the  hands. 

9.  Answer  each  of  the  following  questions  in  two  or  three  clear 

sentences.     Start  with  a  definite,  complete  statement,  not 
with  because,  why,  well,  or  any  other  superfluous  word :  — 

What  would  you  do  if  fire  broke  out  in  school  ? 
Why  is  New  Orleans  an  important  city  commercially? 
What  different  routes  could   you  take  to  go  from  New 
York  to  Seattle? 


HOW   TO  BE  CLEAR  227 

10.   Read  the  following  conversational  poem  to  your  classmates  in 
such  a  way  as  to  make  the  meaning  of  it  quite  clear :  — 

A  small  group  of  words  got  together  one  day, 

And  lamented  their  fate  in  the  following  way,  — 

"If  ox,"  said  box,  "is  in  plural  called  oxen, 

I'm  sure  I  don't  see  why  I  shouldn't  be  boxen." 

"And  if  tooth,''  said  booth,  "is  in  plural  form  teeth, 

Then  why  in  the  world  shouldn't  I  be  called  beelhf* 

"If  mouse,'"  said  house,  "must  be  pluralized  mice, 

'T would  be  simple  and  easy  to  change  me  to  Mce." 

"And  Ukewise,"  said  grouse,  "if  louse  be  called  lice, 

'T would  be  nice,  'twould  suffice,  to  call  me  plain  grice." 

"Yes,  yes,"  laughed  lie^  "and  if  die  is  made  dice, 

Why,  of  course,  I'm  the  one  to  be  turned  into  lice!'* 

"If  man,"  pined  pan,  "is  converted  to  men, 

I  really  should  change,  not  to  pans,  but  to  pen" 

"Quite  so,"  approved /an,  ban,  and  can,  with  a  shout, 

"And  we  should  he  fen,  ben,  and  cen,  without  doubt." 

''It  foot,"  said  boot,  "meaning  two,  becomes /ee^ 

Then  I  should  think  two  of  me  ought  to  be  beet" 

"U  a  he,"  sulked  she,  "is  he,  his,  and  him, 

I  should  really  prefer  to  be  she,  shis,  and  shim." 

"If  that,"  growled  hat,  "is  sometimes  writ  those, 

'Tis  a  very  good  reason  for  writing  me  hose." 

"You're  right!"  said  the  cat,  bat,  and  rat.    "We  propose 

That  we  follow  the  rule  and  be  cose,  bose,  and  rose." 

"Very  good,"  echoed  bliss,  "and  if  this  may  be  these. 

It  naturally  happens  that  I  should  be  blese." 

And  so  they  went  on  till  their  mother  came  in 

To  quell,  if  she  could,  the  deafening  din : 

"Be  proud  to  be  different,"  she  urged  them,  quite  cool, 

"You  can't  be  distinctive  if  patterned  to  rule,  — 

My  brothers,  for  instance,  are  often  called  brethren. 

But  I  never  could  bear  to  be  mentioned  as  methren." 

11.  The  fleet-footed  end  on  the  high  school  team  has  the  ball  and 
is  making  a  straightaway  dart  for  goal.  In  and  among  his  opponents 
he  goes,  now  dodging,  now  stooping,  now  springing  like  a  deer. 
His  zigzag  course  is  guarded  as  well  as  may  be  by  his  eager 


228 


GOOD  ENGLISH 


colleagues  .  .  .  "Down!"     Then,  higgledy,  piggledy,  there  !s  a 
sudden  piling-up  of  entangled  arms  and  legs  and  bodies. 

(1)  Explain  just  how  this  brilliant  sprint  was  brought  to  an  end, 

what  followed  immediately  after  the  tackle,  and  what  it 
meant  to  the  game. 

(2)  The  mother  and  the  sister  of  the  player  who  was  making  the 

run,   saw  the  game  from  the  grandstand.    Explain  their 
feelings  and  actions  at  this  juncture  of  the  game. 


Ml% 

k 

t 

W  ■               i  ■!:'^-/^v^k-:;:v^.^>:; 

w^m 

1 

R^"^ 

W 

V/    ll"-"*^^ jX    ^NJ^^^vjif         ^^JJ"*         itll  V       '        ^         /jT.^ 

^Sm 

DOWN  1  " 


CHAPTER  IV 
HOW  TO  BE  CONVINCING 

Introduction 

If  you  are  clear,  if  you  are  interesting  in  your  letters, 
your  stories,  and  your  explanations,  you  will  probably  be 
convincing.  But  "probably"  is  not  a  safe  word  in  so  im- 
portant a  matter  as  good  writing  and  good  speaking.  You 
must  be  reasonably  interesting  in  order  to  convince  your 
friend,  in  order  to  make  him  believe  as  you  do.  You  must 
be  absolutely  clear  in  order  to  accomplish  that  aim.  But 
to  be  certain  of  convincing  him,  you  must  go  beyond  interest 
and  clearness  to  other  simple  principles  that  belong  par- 
ticularly to  the  art  of  persuasion. 

The  first  of  these  principles  is  useful  everywhere,  but 
especially  in  argument.  It  is  emphasis.  Unity  means  stick- 
ing to  the  subject.  Coherence  means  the  clearest  and  most 
logical  order  of  arrangement.  Emphasis  means  laying  stress 
upon  the  ideas  that  are  most  important  in  what  you  have 
to  say. 

The  other  principle  of  the  art  of  persuasion  is  the  prin- 
ciple that  governs  argument.  If  you  intend  to  convince, 
your  facts  and  your  reasons  must  be  so  planned  as  to  lead 
to  conviction.  You  must  put  your  writing  or  your  speak- 
ing in  the  form  of  an  argument.  This  principle  means  that 
planning  an  argument  must  be  different  from  planning  a 
story  or  explanation.   The  lessons  that  follow  will  explain  how. 

229 


230  GOOD  ENGLISH 

LESSON   THIRTY  FOUR 
Letters  That  Convince 

Read  the  following  letters  and  discuss  them  with  your 
classmates.  Make  a  little  plan  stating  in  order  the  reasons 
advanced  in  each  one  of  these  letters  for  doing  or  for  not 
doing  a  certain  thin"^. 

Letter  (1).  Is  Jane  Austen  serious  in  this  letter?  Is 
she  arguing  for  Scott  or  against  him?  Letter  (2).  What 
three  definite  reasons  does  Lincoln  give  for  not  wanting  a 
bodyguard,  the  Adjutant  General,  to  attend  him  wherever 
he  goes?  Letter  (3).  If  you  were  an  employer  would  you 
feel  like  employing  Miss  Evelyn  Saunders?  Why?  Letter 
(4).  If  you  were  an  employer  would  you  give  Master  James 
Doan  a  chance?  Why?  Letters  (5)  and  (6).  If  you  were 
moving  to  St.  Joseph  which  of  the  two  schools,  ''  Davis  "  or 
"Garfield,"  would  you  attend?  Reasons.  Letter  (7).  How 
do  the  reasons  stated  in  this  letter  differ  from  those  stated 
in  the  previous  letters?  Which  is  the  most  affecting  ques- 
tion in  this  letter  ?    Reasons. 

(1) 

Chawton,  Wednesday,  Sept.  28,  1814. 
My  dear  Anna,  — 

I  hope  you  do  not  depend  on  having  your  book  again  immediately. 
I  kept  it  that  your  grandmamma  may  hear  it.  .  .  . 

Walter  Scott  has  no  business  to  write  novels,  especially  good  ones. 
It  is  not  fair.  He  has  fame  and  profit  enough  as  a  poet,  and  should 
not  be  taking  the  bread  out  of  the  mouths  of  other  people.  I  do 
not  like  him,  and  do  not  mean  to  like  "Waverley"  if  I  can  help  it; 
but  I  fear  I  must  ...  I  have  made  up  my  mind  to  like  no  novels 
really  but  Miss  Edgeworth's,  yours,  and  my  own.  .  .  . 

Your  affectionate  aunt, 
Jane  Austen. 


HOW   TO  BE   CONVINCING  231 

Executive  Mansion,  January  22,  1862. 
My  dear  Sir :  On  reflection  I  think  it  will  not  do,  as  a  rule,  for 
the  adjutant  general  to  attend  me  where  I  go :  not  that  I  have  any 
objection  to  his  presence,  but  that  it  would  be  an  uncompensating 
encumbrance  both  to  him  and  me.  When  it  shall  occur  to  me  to  go 
anywhere,  I  wish  to  be  free  to  go  at  once,  and  not  to  have  to  notify 
the  adjutant  general  and  wait  till  he  can  get  ready. 

It  is  better,  too,  for  the  pubhc  service  that  he  shall  give  his  time 
to  the  business  of  his  office,  and  not  to  personal  attendance  on  me. 
While  I  thank  you  for  the  kindness  of  the  suggestion,  my  view  of 
the  matter  is  as  I  have  stated. 

Yours  truly, 

A.  Lincoln. 


(3) 

130  Grayson  Avenue, 
Cleveland,  Ohio, 
March  30,  1918. 
To  whom  it  may  concern : 

The  bearer,  Miss  Evelyn  Saunders,  has  been  employed  in  my  office 
as  general  assistant  for  the  past  three  years.  The  service  rendered 
by  her  has  been  superior  in  every  way.  The  office  has  never  been 
so  well  looked  after  as  since  Miss  Saunders  has  been  in  charge.  I 
regret  extremely  that  she  is  obhged  to  make  a  change  now,  owing  to 
the  fact  that  she  is  moving  to  another  city,  but  I  am  happy  to 
recommend  her  as  a  young  woman  of  unusual  excellence  and  attain- 
ment in  her  line. 

Jay  S.  Kemer. 

1  Lincoln  preferred  to  go  about  unguarded  by  an  adjutant.  He  could  not 
be  made  to  realize  that  he  thus  exposed  himself  to  assassination.  He  was 
much  criticized  for  his  attitude. 


232  GOOD  ENGLISH 

(4) 

140  Temple  Avenue, 
Louisville,  Kentucky, 
April  30,  1918. 
To  whom  it  may  concern : 

The  bearer,  Master  James  Doan,  has  just  graduated  from  Public 
School  18  with  marks  above  90  in  all -subjects.  His  record  in  the 
school  has  been  superior  in  every  respect.  It  gives  me  great  pleasure 
to  recommend  him  as  an  excellent  young  man  and  to  assist  him  in 
getting  a  position  that  will  offer  him  opportunity  for  further  develop- 
ment. He  is  sixteen  years  of  age,  but  he  possesses  the  steadiness 
of  character  and  the  alertness  of  mind  of  one  of  maturer  years. 

Samuel  Arbuthnot, 
Principal,  P.  S.  18. 


(5) 

21  Howard  Avenue, 
St.  Joseph,  Mo., 
June  30,  1918. 
Dear  Tom, 

Mother  tells  me  that  your  folks  are  going  to  move  to  St.  Joseph 
this  summer.  This  means  that  you  will  go  to  school  here  in  Sei>- 
tember.  Well,  as  soon  as  I  heard  the  good  news  I  thought  to 
myself,  "Tom  certainly  must  attend  the  Davis  School." 

I'm  in  my  second  year  at  "Davis"  now,  and  I  like  it  better  all 
the  time.  It's  a  brand  new  building  with  a  large  gymnasium  and 
a  dandy  swimming  pool.  It  has  the  best  athletic  field  in  the  city. 
The  other  schools  are  all  the  time  wanting  to  use  it.  And  the 
principal  of  "Davis"  is  a  good  fellow.  He  believes  the  boys  should 
have  some  fun  along  with  their  work.  He  backs  up  the  teams  with 
his  whole  heart,  goes  to  every  game,  and  roots  along  with  the  rest 
of  us.  You'll  like  the  teachers,  too.  They're  fair,  and  I  tell  you 
that's  a  great  thing.    Don't  you  think  so?    They  take  a  special 


HOW   TO  BE   CONVINCING  233 

interest  in  a  fellow  and  follow  him  up  after  he  leaves.    This  means 
a  lot  to  a  chap  who  wants  to  get  on,  you  know. 

Your  friend  Jaclc  Thompson  goes  to  a  school  at  the  other  end 
of  the  city,  the  Garfield  School,  but  I  hope  you  won't  let  him  in- 
fluence you  to  go  there.  It  will  be  too  far  for  you  to  go,  for  I 
understand  that  you  are  going  to  Uve  on  our  block.  We  beat 
"Garfield"  40  —  0  last  year  at  football,  but  the  school  has  no 
athletic  field  and  the  team  couldn't  get  the  right  kind  of  practice. 
Of  course,  I'm  not  knocking  "Garfield,"  but  "Davis"  really  is  a 
better  school. 

Think  this  over,  Tom,  and  let  me  hear  from  you.  I  hope  to 
see  you  soon.  Give  my  regards  to  your  father  and  mother,  and  to 
Ahce. 

Your  friend, 
James  AUison. 

P.  S.    I  bet  Jack  Thompson  will  write  you  about  "  Garfield." 


(6)- 

18  De  Kalb  Avenue, 
St.  Joseph,  Mo., 
July  3,  1918. 
Dear  Tom, 

Hurrah !  You're  going  to  move  to  St.  Joseph,  I  hear.  This  is 
fine.  I  have  already  told  the  fellows  at  our  school  about  you  and 
we're  all  ready  to  welcome  you  in  September. 

You're  just  the  boy  for  the  Garfield  School,  Tom,  and  "Garfield" 
is  just  the  school  for  you.  You'll  like  the  fellows  and  the  teachers 
both.  Everybody  at  "Garfield"  knows  how  to  be  a  good  pal. 
We've  got  the  best  course  of  study,  father  says,  of  any  school  in 
this  part  of  the  country.  I've  often  heard  you  say  that  you  want  to 
be  a  mechanic.  Well,  here  at  "Garfield"  they  find  out,  as  soon  as 
he  enters,  what  a  fellow  wants  to  be,  and  then  they  make  every- 
thing he  studies  tell  in  that  direction.    We've  got  immense  manual- 


234  GOOD   ENGLISH 

training  classrooms.  Every  boy  has  to  know  how  to  make  things. 
I  made  a  table  for  Mother  last  winter  which  is  a  crackerjack,  if  I 
do  say  it  myself.  Our  school  auditorium  is  the  biggest  in  the  city. 
When  a  visitor  comes  here  from  any  other  place,  why,  he  always 
visits  "Garfield." 

You've  heard  of  Turner,  the  Minnesota  fullback,  haven't  you? 
Well,  he's  an  old  "Garfield  "  boy.  So  is  Brooks  of  Yale,  and  Watkins 
of  Pennsylvania.  You  see  we  go  in  for  athletics  a  bit  too  at  "Gar- 
field." 

Of  course  our  building  isn't  much  to  brag  about.  It's  old,  but 
it's  still  strong,  and  all  right.  Besides,  it  isn't  the  building  that 
counts :  it's  what  is  in  the  building.  "Garfield"  is  the  oldest  prep 
school  in  this  part  of  the  country  and  it  has  the  best  reputation 
with  the  big  colleges,  so  what  more  could  you  want  ?  You've  heard 
of  "Davis,"  of  course.  They  have  a  brand  new  building  and  a  big 
athletic  field,  but  all  they  think  about  at  "Davis"  is  sport.  When 
it  comes  to  real  school  work,  "Garfield"  is  the  place. 

Let  me  know  exactly  when  you  are  coming  and  I'll  bring  the 
fellows  of  our  club  to  the  station  to  meet  you.  Give  my  best  to 
Sis  and  all  the  others.  Ask  any  questions  about  school  you  want 
to.    I'll  answer. 

Yours  for  September, 
Jack  Thompson. 


(7) 

To  the  Editor  of  The  Intelligencer : 

The  stairs  in  our  school  building  are  so  old  and  shaky  that  it  is 
dangerous  to  use  them.  Five  hundred  pupils  are  required  to  pass 
up  and  down  them  every  day,  some  many  times  a  day.  We  have 
on  many  previous  occasions  requested  our  Board  of  Education  to 
build  new  stairs  in  the  school.  Our  parents  have  protested  to  the 
Mayor  about  the  condition.  We  students  are  now  appealing  to  the 
people  of  the  city  through  such  newspapers  as  The  Intelligencer. 


HOW   TO   BE   CONVINCING  235 

Is  it  fair  to  house  us  in  a  school  building  that  is  unsafe?  Is  it  a 
credit  to  the  citizens  of  this  city  to  have  their  children  go  to  school 
in  a  building  that  the  small  neighboring  town  of  Furlong  scoffs  at? 
Is  it  a  worthy  thing  for  this  rich  city  to  do  ?  Won't  you  help  us, 
please,  to  make  the  officials  take  action  ? 

Pupils  of  the  Morgan  Street  School. 
March  12,  1918. 


LESSON   THIRTY  FIVE 

Special  Letters 

Letters  (3)  and  (4)  on  pages  231  and  232  are  letters  of  gen- 
eral recommendation.  Letter  (7)  above  is  a  letter  to  a 
newspaper.  These  letters  differ  in  form  somewhat  from 
ordinary  letters.  To  whom  it  may  concern  is  used  in  a  letter 
of  general  recommendation  instead  of  the  regular  form  of 
salutation.  The  words  may  all  be  capitalized,  but  it  is 
better  form  to  capitalize  only  the  first  one.  To  the  Editor 
of  The  Herald  is  used  in  a  letter  to  a  newspaper  instead  of 
the  regular  form  of  salutation,  and  the  words  should  be  capi- 
talized as  indicated.  The  complimentary  closing  is  omitted 
from  such  letters  as  these.  The  date  in  the  newspaper 
letter  is  always  placed  in  the  lower  left-hand  corner.  The 
signature  to  a  newspaper  letter  may  be  genuine,  it  may 
be  a  group  signature,  as  in  (7)  above,  or  it  may  be  a  fanci- 
ful or  an  assumed  name,  such  as,  Justice,  Interested,  Julius, 
at.  The  writer  of  a  newspaper  letter  must  always  state 
his  full  name  and  address,  preferably  in  parentheses,  at  the 
end  of  the  letter.  These  will  not  be  published  against 
his  wish,  but  they  are  required  as  an  evidence  of  good 
faith. 

The  regular  letter  form  is  followed  in  a  letter  of  special 


236  GOOD  ENGLISH 

recommendation.  If  in  letter  (3),  for  instance,  a  certain 
employer  were  to  desire  more  facts  about  Miss  Saunders, 
he  would  write  to  Mr.  Jay  S.  Kerner  for  them.  In  reply, 
Mr.  Kerner  would  write  a  letter  of  special  or  personal  recom- 
mendation. He  would  state  the  facts  of  his  general  recom- 
mendation more  in  detail  and  would  answer  fully  any 
questions  that  were  asked  of  him  by  the  employer. 

The  writer  of  a  letter  of  recommendation  or  of  any  letter 
that  calls  for  a  statement  of  reasons,  should  be  sure  to  state 
exact  facts.  Any  over-statement  or  under-statement  of  the 
truth  in  such  letters  as  those  in  Lesson  Thirty  Four  is  unfair 
to  the  one  who  reads  them  and  to  the  subject  about  whom 
they  are  written.  It  is  necessary,  too,  that  such  letters 
be  definite  and  to  the  point.  General  statements  are  of  no 
use.  It  is  not  sufficient  to  say  that  Davis  is  a  better  school 
than  Garfield.  The  respects  in  which  it  is  better  must  be 
indicated.  Similarly,  every  important  point  at  issue  be- 
tween the  schools  must  be  mentioned.  To  omit  one  just 
because  it  may  not  be  favorable  to  your  side  is  to  dodge 
the  argument.  Note  that  Jack  Thompson  in  letter  (6) 
dodges  the  subject  of  the  athletic  field.  He  might  have 
mentioned  it  very  effectively,  thus,  —  ^'Although  we  have 
no  field  at  'Garfield,'  yet  our  athletes  lead  when  they  get 
to  college."  He  could  thus  have  avoided  weakening  his 
position. 

In  any  letter  that  sets  forth  reasons  for  or  against  a  certain 
course  of  action,  the  writer  should  of  course  be  careful  to 
state  his  reason  in  an  emphatic  fashion.  The  strongest 
reason  should  be  reserved  for  the  last,  which  in  argument 
is  nearly  always  the  position  of  emphasis,  and  the  reasons 
preceding  it  should  build  up  to  this  last  one.  Notice  the 
arrangement  in  the  letters  above,  particularly  in  letters  (2) 
and  (5). 


HOW   TO  BE  CONVINCING  237 

PRACTICE  • 

Using  the  letters  in  Lesson  Thirty  Four  as  models  and  keeping 
in  mind  the  above  explanation,  write  some  of  the  letters  caUed  for 
below: — 

1.  There  is  a  very  good  speaker  in  your  school  who  has  taken  many 

honors.  There  is  a  friend  of  yours  who  is  ambitious  but  who 
has  never  taken  any  honors  at  all.  In  a  speaking  contest 
the  good  speaker  is  chosen  to  represent  your  school.  Your 
friend  could  not  qualify.  You  are  both  glad  and  sorry. 
Write  a  letter  to  some  one  about  it,  giving  all  the  details  of 
the  situation. 

2.  Your  father  insists  on  taking  you  to  school  every  morning. 

He  feels  it  is  safer  to  do  so.  But  you  object.  You  prefer  to 
go  alone.  Write  a  letter  to  some  one  about  this  matter, 
setting  forth  a  number  of  reasons  why  your  father  should  not 
accompany  you. 

3.  Write  a  letter  of  general  recommendation  for  one  of  your  class- 

mates. 

4.  Write  the  above  recommendation  in  special  or  personal  form. 

Address  it  to  some  individual  and  make  it  fuller  than  the 
general  recommendation. 

5.  Write  letters  to  friends  urging  them  to  buy  one  or  more  of  the 

following  from  you :  — 
candy  soap  bats  gloves 

magazines  dresses  Liberty  Bonds  buttons 

6.  Write  a  letter  to  a  friend  in  a  distant  place,  to  which  you  expect 

to  move,  asking  him  questions  about  his  school.  Make 
your  questions  cover  all  phases  of  school  life. 

7.  Write  a  letter  to  a  friend  urging  her  to  join  your  Red  Cross 

unit. 

8.  Write  a  letter  to  your  principal  setting  forth  a  number  of 

reasons  why  he  should  permit  your  debating  team  to  be  ex- 
cused from  the  last  two  recitations  on  a  certain  day. 

9.  Reproduce  the  principal's  reply  to  your  letter,  in  which  he 

gives  reasons  for  not  complying  with  your  request. 


238  GOOD  ENGLISH 

10.  Write  a  letter  for  publication  in  your  school  paper  in  which 

you  set  forth  reasons  why  the  student  body  as  a  whole  should 
attend  the  last  game  of  the  season. 

11.  Write  a  letter  to  a  newspaper  in  your  community  complaining 

about  the  noise  outside  the  school  building  during  school 
hours. 

12.  Write  a  letter  to  a  newspaper  in  your  community  thanking  it  for 

giving  such  a  full  account  of  your  commencement  exercises, 
but  calling  its  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  name  of  the  head 
boy  in  the  school  is  James  T.  McCorkle,  not  James  T. 
Marklee. 

13.  Imagine  that  you  are  in  camp.     Write  a  letter  home  telling 

about  your  camp  life.  The  picture  on  page  167  may  help  you 
in  writing  this  letter. 


LESSON  THIRTY  SIX 

Emphasis  in  the  Sentence 

The  success  of  the  letters  in  Lesson  Thirty  Four  depends 
very  largely  upon  their  emphasis.  Much  of  their  excellence 
is  due  to  emphatic  sentences.  Coherence  in  a  sentence  helps 
to  make  it  forceful.  Unity  in  a  sentence  also  helps  to  make 
it  forceful.  There  can  be  no  forceful  expression  without 
these  qualities.  But  once  you  have  secured  them  in  your 
sentences,  you  may  emphasize  your  thought  even  more  by 
means  of  certain  devices. 

1.  Repetition.  You  may,  for  instance,  stress  or  accent 
an  idea  by  repeating  it.  Here  are  three  illustrations  show- 
ing how  emphasis  may  be  secured  in  a  sentence  by  means 
of  repetition.  In  the  first,  words  are  repeated;  in  the 
second,  phrases ;  in  the  third,  clauses.  If  you  wish  to  get 
the  full  force  of  the  repetition,  read  the  sentences  aloud. 


HOW    TO   BE   CONVINCING  239 

If  I  were  an  American,  as  I  am  an  Englishman,  while  a  foreign 
troop  were  landed  in  my  country,  I  would  never  lay  down  my  arms, 
—  never !  never !  never ! 

That  the  government  of  the  people,  by  the  people,  for  the  people, 
shall  not  perish  from  the  earth. 

So,  too,  the  character,  the  counsels,  the  example  of  our  Wash- 
ington, of  which  you  bid  me  speak  :  they  guided  our  fathers  through 
the  storms  of  the  Revolution ;  they  will  guide  us  through  the  doubts 
and  difficulties  that  beset  us ;  they  will  guide  our  children  and  our 
children's  children  in  the  paths  of  prosperity  and  peace. 

Be  sure  that  your  repetitions  count  for  emphasis.  Do 
not  permit  a  needless  repetition  in  a  sentence,  for  that  delays 
or  confuses  the  thought.  Such  expressions  as  the  following 
lose  in  force  rather  than  gain  by  the  repetition  :  — 

We  lost  and  failed  to  win.  Go  immediately  and  at  once. 

Do  not  repeat  such  terms  as  /  think,  I  believe,  it  is  said 
in  your  sentences.     Avoid  such  aimless  repetitions  as,  — 

John,  he  wept. 

She  was  universally  liked  by  all. 

It  resulted  in  this  result. 

Never  use  more  words  than  are  necessary,  for  they  in- 
variably mean  useless  and  ineffective  repetition. 

He  looks  as  if  he  were  ill. 

The  coat  that  he  wears  is  torn. 

She  wore  a  pair  of  white  gloves  on  her  hands. 

These  sentences  contain  useless  repetition  and  are  therefore 
extravagant  of  words.  A  series  of  such  bungled  sentences 
placed  in  close  succession  would  give  anything  but  a  force- 
ful and  emphatic  impression.     They  should  read,  — 

He  looks  ill.  His  coat  is  torn.  She  wore  white  gloves. 

2.  Variety.  You  may  also  make  your  writing  more  vivid 
by  varying  sentences  in  form  and  length,  by  making  use  of 


240  GOOD  ENGLISH 

all  the  different  kinds  pointed  out  on  page  141.  Some  sen- 
tences should  begin  with  the  subject ;  some  with  modifying 
phrases,  and  so  forth.  Again,  the  customary  connectives, 
and,  hut,  for,  because,  may  very  often  be  understood  rather 
than  expressed.  We  become  so  accustomed  to  hearing  cer- 
tain connectives  in  certain  word  relations  that  their  omis- 
sion is  welcome  and  adds  emphasis.  Note  how  this  is  done 
in  the  following  sentences.  The  connectives  are  omitted, 
and  this  results  in  a  surprise  construction  that  adds  force 
to  the  whole  expression :  — 

Alice  is  afraid  he  is  going  to  come  tonight.    She  needn't  worry. 
He  isn't. 

Much  is  lost  by  combining  these  sentences  as  follows :  — 

Alice  is  afraid  he  is  going  to  come  tonight,  but  she  needn't  worry 
for  he  isn't. 

Brief  and  pointed  statements  are  frequently  more  em- 
phatic than  long  and  complete  ones.  But  judgment  must 
be  exercised  in  their  use,  just  as  it  must  be  exercised  in  any 
other  attempt  to  secure  variety.  Do  not  try  to  use  in 
regular  succession  long  and  short  sentences ;  loose,  periodic, 
and  balanced  sentences;,  simple,  complex,  and  compound 
sentences ;  declarative,  interrogative,  imperative,  and  ex- 
clamatory sentences.  If  you  do,  your  writing  will  be  arti- 
ficial and  there  will  be  no  emphasis  in  your  expression. 
Read  your  sentences  aloud  after  you  have  written  them. 
Hear  the  variety.  Hear  the  monotony.  Hear  and  feel  the 
force  in  them. 

3.  Position.  You  may  make  your  sentences  forceful  by 
being  careful  to  place  important  words  in  important  posi- 
tions. The  first  part  and  the  last  part  of  a  sentence,  a 
paragraph,  a  speech,  are  the  emphatic  parts.  The  latter 
part  is  the  stronger  position  of  the  two,  but  both  are  im- 


HOW   TO  BE   CONVINCING  241 

portant.  Whenever  possible,  place  the  important  words  in 
these  places.  Note  in  the  following  sentences  how  this  rule 
is  carried  out  with  especial  effect :  — 

(1)  Dead  rides  the  warrior  on  his  steed.  (2)  Hard  and  fierce  and 
long  they  struggled.  (3)  Sweet  are  the  uses  of  adversity. 
(4)  To  the  average  girl  a  new  dress  is  an  event. 

The  important  words  in  each  of  these  sentences  are  placed 
at  the  beginning,  or  at  the  end,  or  in  both  positions.  In 
order  to  place  them  thus  the  order  has  to  be  transposed  or 
inverted.  The  natural  order  in  (4),  for  instance,  is,  —  A  new 
dress  is  an  event  to  the  average  girl.  Here  the  important  word 
event  comes  in  the  middle  of  the  sentence,  a  weak  position. 
Turn  sentences  (1),  (2),  and  (3)  around,  and  see  how  much 
is  lost  by  using  the  natural  rather  than  the  inverted  order. 

It  is  equally  important  for  emphasis  to  place  the  important 
idea  of  a  sentence  in  the  principal  clause,  for  it  is  there  that 
emphasis  falls.     Note  this  pair  of  sentences,  — 

(1)  I  was  hurrying  through  a  field  when  I  saw  a  dead  body 
on  the  ground. 

(2)  As  I  was  hurrying  through  a  field  I  saw  on  the  ground  a 
dead  body. 

Seeing  the  dead  body  is  the  important  idea.  If,  as  in  (1), 
it  is  put  in  the  subordinate  clause,  there  is  a  distinct  failure 
of  emphasis. 

4.  Special  kinds  of  sentences.  Interrogative,  imperative, 
and  exclamatory  sentences  are  usually  more  emphatic  than 
declarative.  Notice  the  sentences  that  follow,  and  com- 
pare them  with  their  declarative  forms  :  — 

Do  men  gather  grapes  of  thorns,  or  figs  of  thistles  ? 
How  like  a  fawning  pubhcan  he  looks! 
Let  there  be  Ught. 


242  GOOD   ENGLISH 

Balanced  and  periodic  sentences  may  also  be  used  for 
emphasis.  The  first  presents  a  contrast  emphatically ;  the 
second  automatically  holds  the  attention  of  the  reader  until 
the  end,  the  best  position  for  emphasis.  (See  pages  138 
and  141.)  The  first  sentence  below  is  forceful  because  it  is 
balanced ;  the  second,  because  it  is  periodic.  Rewrite 
each  in  a  different  form  and  see  what  is  lost  in  force,  — 

(1)  We  must  accept  defeat  but  we  need  not  feel  disgrace. 

(2)  Until  I  see  my  mother  I  will  not  leave  this  house. 

5.  Brevity.  If  a  word  can  do  the  full  work  of  a  phrase 
or  a  clause  it  should  by  all  means  be  used  instead  of  the 
phrase  or  the  clause.  Strip  your  sentences  of  everything 
that  is  not  actually  necessary  to  convey  the  central  idea. 
Observe  in  (1)  and  (2)  below  how  the  principal  thought  is 
weakened  by  too  many  needless  words.  Note  how  much  is 
gained  by  the  revision  in  (3)  and  (4)  respectively,  — 

(1)  Quietly  and  noiselessly  they  went  onward,  followed  by  their 
able  guides,  into  the  jungle. 

(2)  His  speech  was  delivered,  on  the  whole,  in  a  forceful  manner 
and  at  the  same  time  was  convincing. 

(3)  Followed  by  their  guides,  they  went  quietly  into  the  jungle. 

(4)  His  speech  was  delivered  with  convincing  force. 

Some  writers  seem  to  feel  that  every  noun  or  verb  they  use 
must  have  a  modifier.  Such  ''padded"  writing  can  never 
be  emphatic. 

Finally,  repeat  words,  phrases,  and  clauses,  if  necessary, 
in  order  to  secure  emphasis,  but  do  not  repeat  uselessly 
or  awkwardly.  Vary  sentence  forms  and  sentence  con- 
structions. Do  not  modify  every  noun  with  an  adjective, 
every  verb  with  an  adverb.  Occasionally  omit  obvious 
connectives.  Resort  to  unusual  constructions  sometimes, 
and  cultivate  brevity  wherever  possible. 


HOW   TO   BE   CONVINCING  243 

Keep  constantly  in  mind  that  the  first  part  and  the  last 
part  of  a  sentence  are  the  forceful  positions.  Make  use  of 
periodic  and  balanced  sentences  and  of  interrogative,  im- 
perative, and  exclamatory  sentences.  Be  ready  to  alter  the 
natural  order  of  sentences  so  that  the  important  ideas  may 
be  easily  placed  at  the  emphatic  points.     Be  concise. 

PRACTICE 

1.   Point  out  the  useless  repetition  in  each  of  the  following  and 
rewrite :  — 

(1)  I  wonder  whence  he  came  from. 

(2)  They  have  added  another  new  addition  to  the  school  build- 

ing. 

(3)  He  wore  a  pair  of  brand  new  shoes  on  his  feet. 

(4)  They  arrived  Tuesday  morning  at  10  a.m. 

(5)  I  am  going  on  about  the  third  of  June. 

(6)  The  boys  each  had  an  apple  apiece. 

(7)  He  looks  as  if  he  were  very  tired. 

(8)  The  policy  that  they  follow  is  not  a  good  pohcy. 

(9)  One  of  the  best  games  that  Jim  ever  played  was  the  game 

he  played  against  Tompkins  on  Saturday. 

(10)  Thus,  I  should  think,  therefore,  that  what  he  says  is  fact 

and  truth. 

(11)  This  is  the  station  from  which  we  are  going  from. 

(12)  He  was  quite  rich  and  well-to-do,  and  so  was  his  brother 

also. 

(13)  He  approached  toward  me  silently  and  without  a  word. 

(14)  A  girl  whose  name  is  Clara  brings  the  mail  when  it  comes 

at  ten  o'clock. 

(15)  She  wore  a  long  train  at  least  three  feet  long. 

(16)  He  likes  books,  music,  painting,  and  etc. 

(17)  Opposite  to  me  sat  a  boy  whose  name  was  Edgar. 

(18)  The  disease  with  which  he  is  diseased  is  one  of  the  incurable 

diseases. 

(19)  Our  class  of  twenty,  including  myself,  started  in  the  morn- 

ing at  eight  a.m. 

(20)  Two  elderly  old  maids  entered  but  not  one  of  them  spoke 

a  word. 


244  GOOD  ENGLISH 

2.   Combine  each  of  the  following  groups  into  one  good  sentence, 
containing  no  repetition :  — 

(1)  Russia  occupies  more  land  than  any  other  country  in  the 

world.  Russia  is  more  than  twice  the  size  of  the  United 
States.  Russia  occupies  one  sixth  of  the  total  land  area 
of  the  earth. 

(2)  The  population  of  Russia  is  about  one  hundred  eighty 

millions.  Seventy-five  per  cent  of  the  Russian  people 
are  engaged  in  agriculture.  Fifteen  per  cent  of  the 
Russian  people  live  in  cities. 

(3)  There  are  1231  cities  in  Russia.     The  streets  of  1068  Rus- 

sian cities  are  lighted  at  night.  One  hundred  sixty- 
two  Russian  cities  have  electric  lights.  One  hundred 
twenty-eight  Russian  cities  have  gas  light.  Over  seven 
hundred  Russian  cities  are  lighted  by  kerosene. 

(4)  The  five  largest  cities  in  Russia  are  Petrograd,  Moscow, 

Warsaw,  Odessa,  Kiev.  The  population  of  Petrograd 
is  2,100,000.  The  population  of  Moscow  is  1,800,000. 
The  population  of  Warsaw  is  700,000.  The  population 
of  Odessa  and  of  Kiev  is  600,000  each. 

(5)  Russia  has  the  longest  coast  line  of  any  country  in  the 

world.  Most  of  the  Russian  coast  line  is  locked  by  ice 
a  good  part  of  the  year.  Shipping  is  not  a  leading  Rus- 
sian industry. 

(6)  Russia,  United  States,  and  British  India  are  the  three  great- 

est tobacco-growing  countries  in  the  world.  Russia 
raises  one  hundred  ninety-eight  millions  of  pounds  a 
year.  British  India  raises  four  hundred  thirty-three 
millions  of  pounds  a  year.  United  States  raises  seven 
hundred  twenty-two  millions  of  pounds  a  year. 

(7)  Russia  conducts  much  of  her  business  at  fairs.     Russia 

conducts  both  wholesale  and  retail  business  at  fairs. 
There  are  over  three  thousand  fairs  held  annually  in 
Russia.  The  most  famous  Russian  fair  is  the  one  held 
annually  at  Nijni-Novgorod. 

(8)  Russian  horses  are  famous  the  world  over.     The  most 

beautiful  Russian  horses  come  from  the  Caucasus 
districts.  Russia  raises  more  horses  than  any  other 
country. 


HOW   TO  BE   CONVINCING  245 

(9)  The  fur  industry  is  the  most  important  industry  in  Russia. 
Russia  supplies  about  one  third  of  the  furs  of  the  world. 
Russia's  long  Arctic  coast  line  makes  fur  raising  an  im- 
portant industry. 
(10)  Russia  is  the  second  petroleum  producing  country  in  the 
world.  The  United  States  is  the  first  petroleum  produc- 
ing country  in  the  world.  The  Russian  petroleum  centers 
are  on  the  Black  and  Caspian  Seas. 

3.  Combine  the  above  sentences  on  Russia  into  a  good  paragraph. 

Vary  sentence  beginning,  sentence  length,  and  sentence  form. 

4.  Tell  in  six  short,  similarly  constructed  sentences  just  what  you 

see  in  the  picture  on  the  next  page.  Then  combine  them 
into  one  good  periodic  sentence.  What  is  lost  or  gained  by 
the  change? 

5.  Explain  why  each  of  the  following  is  forceful :  — 

(1)  Alone,  alone,  all,  all  alone. 

Alone  on  a  wide,  wide  sea ! 

(2)  Everywhere  the  unworthy  boon  was  rejected  with  scorn. 

(3)  Who  would  not  fight  for  his  country? 

(4)  Still  was  his  hand,  and  clear  his  eye. 

As  the  leader  said,  "Thou  too  must  die!" 

(5)  A  horse !  a  horse !  my  kingdom  for  a  horse  1 

(6)  Now  is  the  accepted  time. 

(7)  To  try  is  better  than  the  thing  you  try  for. 

(8)  0  that  I  had  the  wings  of  a  bird ! 

(9)  Fallen  are  the  mighty ! 

(10)  Beaten,  and  only  by  an  inch! 

(11)  Cannon  to  right  of  them. 
Cannon  to  left  of  them. 
Cannon  in  front  of  them 

Volleyed  and  thundered. 

(12)  You  cannot,  my  lords,  you  cannot  conquer  America. 

(13)  And  the  king  was  much  moved,  and  went  up  to  the  cham- 

ber over  the  gate  and  wept ;  and  as  he  went,  thus  he  said : 
O  my  son  Absalom !  would  God  I  had  died  for  thee,  0 
Absalom,  my  son,  my  son ! 

(14)  And  his  chief  beside, 
Smiling  the  boy  fell  dead. 


^^m^^^^^^^mwm^m^m. 


k^^i^ 


ON   THE    8KI6. 


HOW   TO   BE   CONVINCING  247 

(15)  "We're  all  that's  left  of  the  Band,  and  we'll  be  cut  up  as 
sure  as  death,"  said  Jakin. 
"I'll  die  game,  then,"  said  Lew. 

6.  Rewrite  each  of  the  following  sentences  in  interrogative,  impera- 

tive, or  exclamatory  form.      Explain  what  is  gained  by  the 
revision :  — 

(1)  We  are  all  willing  to  have  one  hundred  per  cent. 

(2)  It  is  poiu-ing  rain. 

(3)  Life  is  not  so  dear,  peace  is  not  so  sweet,  as  to  be  purchased 

at  the  price  of  slavery. 

(4)  He  told  him  to  stop  and  asked  who  went  there. 

(5)  I  do  not  fear  death. 

(6)  There  is  no  one  here  so  base  that  would  be  a  bondman; 

there  is  no  one  here  so  rude  that  would  not  be  a  Roman ; 
there  is  no  one  here  so  vile  that  would  not  love  his 
country. 

(7)  We  wish  our  daily  bread  this  day. 

(8)  He  said  that  we  are  not  to  judge  that  we  be  not  judged. 

(9)  He  asked  what  they  were  going  to  do  about  it  and  whether 

he  should  prepare  for  the  worst. 
(10)  He  shouted  to  them  that  they  must  run  for  their  lives. 

7.  Make  the  following  sentences  more  emphatic  by  changing  the 

order  of  phrases  or  clauses,  or  by  placing  the  principal  idea 
in  the  principal  clause  :  — 

(1)  Birds  are  of  practical  interest  to  man  in  several  ways. 

(2)  There  were  noise  and  tumult  everywhere. 

(3)  Commencement  is  a  great  occasion  in  the  hfe  of  every  boy 

and  girl. 

(4)  Giving  myself  up  to  the  police,  I  hoped  for  pardon. 

(5)  He  came  in  exhausted  when  the  race  was  done. 

(6)  It  is  dangerous  to  allow  your  car  to  stand  in  the  middle  of 

the  street. 

(7)  Every  boy  and  girl  should  cultivate  at  least  one  hobby. 

(8)  The  world  would  have  far  more  healthy  boys  and  girls  if 

the  rules  for  muscular  activity  were  more  often  applied 
both  in  work  and  in  play. 

(9)  I  do  not  know  what  in  the  world  made  him  do  it. 

(10)  We  retraced  our  steps  to  the  house  when  it  began  to  rain. 


248  GOOD  ENGLISH 

8.   Convert  each  of  the  following  sentences  into  the  balanced  or  the 
periodic  form  and  explain  what  is  gained  thereby :  — 

(1)  Our  feet  are  held  to  this  planet  on  which  we  live,  by  nature's 

laws,  but  there  is  no  law  to  prevent  our  eyes  and  our 
thoughts  from  looking  and  soaring  up  and  away. 

(2)  The  astronomers  tell  us  that  some  day  the  sun  must  burn 

itself  out,  but  that  will  not  be  until  you  and  I  have 
passed  beyond  the  need  of  its  warmth  and  Ught,  so  we 
will  not  borrow  trouble  about  so  dire  an  event. 

(3)  As  to  the  real  size  of  the  sun,  we  are  told  that  if  one  hun- 

dred and  nine  earths  were  laid  side  by  side,  they  would 
just  reach  across  the  face  of  the  sun ;  or  if  you  place  a 
football  and  a  bird-shot  side  by  side,  you  will  have  some 
idea  of  the  comparative  sizes  of  the  earth  and  the  sun. 

(4)  The  telescope  has  given  us  a  very  good  idea  of  the  surface  of 

one  side  of  the  moon,  but  of  the  other  side  we  know  ab- 
solutely nothing. 

(5)  As  there  are  only  six  planets  which  can  be  seen  with  the 

naked  eye,  and  those  at  certain  times  of  the  year  only, 
while  there  are  thousands  of  stars  in  the  sky,  you  will 
see  that  it  is  not  easy  to  find  the  planets  unless  you  know 
where  to  look  for  them. 

(6)  We  speak  of  things  going  up  when  they  move  toward  the 

sky,  but  as  this  immense  space  surrounds  the  earth  on  all 
sides  there  is  in  reality  no  up,  it  is  properly  speaking  out 
and  away  from  the  earth. 

(7)  Venus  is  the  most  provoking  of  planets,  because  when  she  is 

nearest  to  us  she  turns  her  dark  side  to  us,  just  as  a  rude 
boy  or  girl  would  turn  the  back  on  some  one  disliked. 

(8)  Lord  Kelvin   shows  that  if    the  earth  were  a  fluid  sur- 

rounded by  a  crust,  the  action  of  the  moon  would  not 
cause  tides  in  the  ocean,  but  would  merely  tend  to  stretch 
out  the  entire  earth  in  the  direction  of  the  moon,  leaving  the 
relative  positions  of  the  crust  and  the  water  unchanged. 

(9)  Our  earth  is  favored  in  many  ways  beyond  any  known 

planet,  but  perhaps  nothing  is  more  remarkable  than  our 
atmosphere,  which  surrounds  the  earth  like  a  grea,t  trans- 
•  parent  rim,  reaching  out  to  a  distance  variously  estimated 

from  forty-five  miles  to  more  than  two  hundred  miles. 


HOW   TO  BE   CONVINCING  249 

(10)  This  atmosphere,  which  is  a  sort  of  gas,  presses  upon  every 
part  of  the  earth's  surface,  and  the  pressure  upon  a  hu- 
man body  of  average  size  is  fourteen  tons,  but  as  it 
presses  equally  upon  all  parts  of  the  body,  it  causes  no 
inconvenience. 

9.  Select  from  the  speech  or  writing  of  teachers  and  classmates, 
examples  of  emphatic  sentences.  Point  out  in  each  the  quah- 
ties  that  produce  emphasis.  Tell  whether  it  is  due  to  repeti- 
tion, to  variety,  to  position,  or  to  all  three. 


LESSON  THIRTY  SEVEN 
Argument 

When  you  attempt  to  persuade  others  that  a  certain 
statement  or  proposition  is  true  or  false,  you  use  a  form  of 
composition  called  argument.  You  may  succeed  by  means 
of  reasoning  or  explanation  or  a  story  or  a  word  picture, 
or  a  combination  of  some  or  all  of  them.  Anything  that 
will  convince  your  opponents  that  you  are  right  is  good  in 
argument. 

Argument  is  one  of  the  most  common  as  well  as  one  of 
the  most  important  forms  of  composition.  If  you  disagree 
with  your  classmates  about  the  merits  of  a  team  or  about 
the  method  of  working  an  example,  an  argument  probably 
ensues.  If  you  pick  up  a  newspaper  or  look  at  a  bulletin 
board,  you  see  an  argument  for  bu3dng  this  or  that.  An 
advertisement  is  an  argument  in  favor  of  the  merits  of 
something  that  is  for  sale.  When  the  salesman  in  a  store 
tries  to  persuade  you  to  buy  a  certain  article  he  makes  use 
of  argument.  Lawyers  in  the  courtroom  argue  cases  before 
judge  and  jury  to  see  which  of  two  litigants  is  in  the  right. 
In  Congress,  legislators  argue  the  merits  and  demerits  of 
proposed   reforms    before   laws   are    made.      So    you    see 


250  GOOD  ENGLISH 

that  argument  may  be  a  very  simple  form  of  composition 
or  a  very  complex  one,  —  simple,  when  a  boy  tries  to  show 
his  mother  that  he  should  be  allowed  to  go  to  the  circus ; 
complex,  when  ambassadors  from  many  countries  gather 
around  a  table  to  settle  disputes  among  nations. 

Pupils  have  a  way  sometimes  of  answering  questions 
briefly,  with  yes  or  no  merely.  And  then  teachers  have  a 
way  of  saying,  '' Reasons,  please."  They  desire  that  pupils 
should  prove  what  they  know  or  beheve.  Mere  statement 
of  facts  is  not  argument.  Mere  assertion  never  convinces. 
Because  is  not  a  reason.  In  order  to  argue,  you  must  back 
up  your  opinions  with  facts,  with  reasoning,  with  anything 
that  will  serve  to  convince.  In  order  to  argue  well,  you 
must  make  your  writing  as  emphatic  as  possible,  and  you 
must  plan  your  speech  and  your  writing  so  as  to  proceed 
clearly  to  the  final  point  that  carries  conviction  with  it. 
There  will  be  more  about  this  principle  later,  page  259. 

Finally,  do  not  lose  your  temper  when  you  are  arguing. 
To  be  caustic  or  discourteous  in  an  argument  usually  means 
failure.  Attack  the  argument,  not  the  man  who  argues 
against  you.  You  cannot  reason  when  you  are  angry,  and 
your  case  will  seem  to  be  weak  even  if  it  is  not.  To  keep 
your  mind  cool  by  self-control  is  half  the  battle  in  argument. 

Read  the  following  brief  arguments,  make  plans  of  them, 
and  notice  how  the  assertions  contained  in  them  are  backed 
up  by  reasons :  — 

The  frequent  use  of  cigars  or  cigarettes  by  the  young  seriously 
affects  the  quality  of  the  blood.  The  red  blood  corpuscles  are  not 
fully  developed  and  charged  with  their  normal  supply  of  life-gi\ing 
oxygen.  This  causes  paleness  of  the  skin,  often  noticed  in  the  face 
of  the  young  smoker.  Palpitation  of  the  heart  is  also  a  common 
result,  followed  by  permanent  weakness,  so  that  the  whole  system 
is  enfeebled,  and  mental  vigor  is  impaired  as  well  as  physical 


HOW   TO  BE   CONVINCING  251 

strength.  Observant  teachers  can  usually  tell  which  of  the  boys 
under  their  care  are  addicted  to  smoking,  simply  by  the  compara- 
tive inferiority  of  their  appearance,  and  by  their  intellectual  and 
bodily  indolence  and  feebleness.  After  full  maturity  is  attained 
the  evil  effects  of  commencing  the  use  of  tobacco  are  less  apparent  ; 
but  competent  physicians  assert  that  it  cannot  be  safely  used  by 
persons  under  the  age  of  forty  .^ 

Suppose  it  were  perfectly  certain  that  the  life  and  fortune  of 
every  one  of  us  would,  one  day  or  other,  depend  upon  his  winning 
or  losing  a  game  of  chess.  Don't  you  think  that  we  should  all 
consider  it  to  be  a  primary  duty  to  learn  at  least  the  names  and 
the  moves  of  the  pieces ;  to  have  a  notion  of  a  gambit,  and  a  keen 
eye  for  all  the  means  of  giving  and  getting  out  of  check?  Do  you 
not  think  that  we  should  look  with  a  disapprobation  amoimting 
to  scorn,  upon  the  father  who  allowed  his  son,  or  the  state  which 
allowed  its  members,  to  grow  up  without  knowing  a  pawn  from  a 
knight? 

Yet  it  is  very  plain  and  elementaiy  truth,  that  the  Hfe,  the  for- 
tune, and  the  happiness  of  every  one  of  us,  and,  more  or  less,  of 
those  who  are  connected  with  us,  do  depend  upon  our  knowing 
something  of  the  rules  of  a  game  infinitely  more  difficult  and  com- 
pKcated  than  chess.  It  is  a  game  which  has  been  played  for  untold 
ages,  every  man  and  woman  of  us  being  one  of  the  two  players  in 
a  game  of  his  or  her  own.  The  chessboard  is  the  world,  the  pieces 
are  the  phenomena  of  the  universe,  the  rules  of  the  game  are  what 
we  call  the  laws  of  nature.  The  player  on  the  other  side  is  hidden 
from  us.  We  know  that  his  play  is  always  fair,  just,  and  patient. 
But  also  we  know,  to  our  cost,  that  he  never  overlooks  a  mistake, 
or  makes  the  smallest  allowance  for  ignorance.  To  the  man  who 
plays  well,  the  highest  stakes  are  paid,  with  that  sort  of  overflowing 
generosity  with  which  the  strong  shows  dehght  in  strength.  And 
one  who  plays  ill  is  checkmated  —  without  haste,  but  without 
remorse. 

My  metaphor  will  remind  some  of  you  of  the  famous  picture  in 

1  From  Macy  and  Norris's  Physiology  for  High  Schools.  Copyright  by 
M.  L.  Macy.    American  Book  Company,  Publishers. 


252  GOOD   ENGLISH 

which  Retzsch  has  depicted  Satan  playing  at  chess  with  man  for 
his  soul.  Substitute  for  that  mocking  fiend  in  that  picture  a  calm, 
strong  angel  who  is  playing  for  love,  as  we  say,  and  would  rather 
lose  than  win  —  and  I  should  accept  it  as  an  image  of  human  hfe. 
Well,  what  I  mean  by  education  is  learning  the  rules  of  this 
mighty  game.  In  other  words,  education  is  the  instruction  of  the 
intellect  in  the  laws  of  nature,  under  which  name  I  include  not 
merely  things  and  their  forces,  but  men  and  their  ways ;  and  the 
fashioning  of  the  affections  and  of  the  will  into  an  earnest  and 
loving  desire  to  move  in  harmony  with  those  laws.  For  me,  edu- 
cation means  neither  more  nor  less  than  this.  Anything  which 
professes  to  call  itself  education  must  be  tried  by  this  standard, 
and  if  it  fails  to  stand  the  test,  I  will  not  call  it  education,  whatever 
may  be  the  force  of  authority,  or  of  numbers,  upon  the  other  side. 
—  From  Thomas  Henry  Huxley's  A  Liberal  Education  and  Where  to 
Find  It. 

PRACTICE 

1.  Answer  some  of  the  following  questions  briefly.  State  reasons 
for  each  answer  given  and  reply  to  questions  and  disagree- 
ments as  politely  as  you  can :  — 

(1)  Do  you  think  it  is  right  for  you  to  stand  up  for  another 

when  you  know  he  is  wrong  ? 

(2)  Do  you  think  it  is  right  that  a  boy  should  tell  on  another 

in  order  to  save  himself? 

(3)  Do  you  think  your  whole  class  should  be  kept  in  until  that 

member  of  it  who  broke  a  window  at  recess  confesses? 

(4)  Do  you  think  it  is  right  for  you  to  keep  quiet  when  you 

see  two  of  your  classmates  cheating  in  examinations? 

(5)  Do  you  think  it  is  right  to  ride  on  a  car  without  paying 

your  fare,  just  because  the  conductor  overlooks  you? 

(6)  Tom  and  Bill  watch  for  the  policeman  while  Harry  takes 

some  apples  from  a  fruit  stand.  When  they  are  caught, 
is  it  right  to  punish  Harry  and  let  Tom  and  Bill  go? 

(7)  Three   boys  are   in   disorder.      Jim   and   Sam   begin  it. 

Bobby  simply  looks  on  and  enjoys  it.  But  when  the 
teacher  enters  Bobby  is  the  one  she  catches  and  pun- 
ishes.  What  would  you  do  if  you  were  in  Bobby's  place  ? 


HOW   TO  BE   CONVINCING  253 

(8)  Just  before  the  school  speaking  contest  begins,  the  principal 

announces  that  one  contestant  has  been  ill  and  has  con- 
sequently not  been  able  to  prepare  as  thoroughly  as  he 
should  have.     Is  this  fair,  do  you  think? 

(9)  Is  it  fair,  in  a  fight  of  any  sort,  for  one  to  combat  another 

with  dissimilar  weapons ;  that  is,  is  it  fair  for  one  boy  to 
use  fists  and  his  opponent  sticks  or  stones?  Is  it  fair 
for  one  man  to  use  a  sword  and  another  to  use  a  pistol  ? 
(10)  Discuss  with  your  classmates  the  fairness  or  the  unfairness 
of  some  situation  in  literature :  — 

Was  Brutus  justified  in  joining  the  conspiracy? 

Was  Rustum  justified  in  nursing  his  pride  ? 

Was  Portia  justified  in  appearing  against  Shylock? 

2.  Write  three  or  four  paragraphs  setting  forth  your  ideas  on  one 

of  the  following :  —  ^ 

School  should  be  open  the  year  round. 
There  should  be  no  rule  against  tardiness. 
Commencement  exercises  are  a  waste  of  time  and  money. 
Boys  and  girls  should  be  privileged  to  take  part  in  athletics 

regardless  of  their  marks. 
Report  cards  should  be  issued  every  week. 
School  clubs  are  a  waste  of  time  and  should  be  discontinued. 

3.  Write  the  argumentative  conversation  suggested  by  one  of  the 

following :  — 
Mary  and  AHce  are  discussing  Elizabeth's  new  dress. 
Bill  and  Joe  are  discussing  Howard's  marks. 
Your  father  and  mother  are  discussing  your  monthly  report 

card. 
Jean^nd  Ann  are  discussing  their  English  teacher. 
Dave  and  Jack  are  discussing  Ted's  fumble  of  the  ball  and  the 

consequent  loss  of  the  game. 

4.  A  good  story  is  oftentimes  the  most  convincing  sort  of  argu- 

ment.    Tell  a  little  argumentative  story  suggested  by  one  of 

the  following :  — 
He  stole  food  because  he  was  hungry. 
She  lied  to  save  her  child. 
Demanding  higher  wages,   they   mobbed   the   offices  of  the 

company. 


254  GOOD  ENGLISH 

5.  A  good  word  picture  may  be  made  a  most  convincing  sort  of 

argument.     Suppose  each  one  of  the  following  words  to  be  a 
description  of  a  person.     Enlarge  one  of  the  word  pictures 
and  make  it  an  argument  for  help :  — 
crippled  cold         alone  bewildered         hungry 

nervous  old  lost  shunned  penniless 

6.  A  complete  and  accurate  statement  of  all  the  facts  in  a  case  is 

frequently  sufficient  to  win  an  argument.  Imagine  that  an  argu- 
ment takes  place  regarding  one  of  the  following.  State  all  the 
facts  connected  with  it  and  thereby  prove  your  position :  — 

Bob's  failure  was  not  due  to  lack  of  study. 
Mary's  fall  from  the  car  was  not  her  fault. 
The  accident  was  not  the  result  of  my  carelessness. 
Brown  was  not  to  blame  for  the  runaway. 
Thompson  was  not  responsible  for  the  fire. 

7.  Mrs.  English,  Mrs.  Arithmetic,  Miss  Geography,  Mr.  Spelling, 

Mr.  History,  Mr.  Athletics,  and  other  persons  of  prominence 
representing  still  other  school  subjects,  are  discussing  their 
relative  value  to  pupils.  Each  one  states  his  particular 
merits  fully  and  forcefully.  Reproduce  the  argument  each 
one  gives  to  show  his  superiority  over  the  others.  Compare 
the  arguments  with  one  another  and  vote  for  the  strongest. 

8.  You  cannot  present  one  side  of  an  argument  fully  unless  you 

are  familiar  with  the  arguments  to  be  presented  on  the  other 
side.  You  must  know  all  sides  of  a  case  before  you  can  be 
fair  in  deciding  upon  its  merits.  Make  a  Ust  of  all  that  you 
can  say  on  both  sides  of  one  of  the  following  topics.  Arrange 
the  points  in  your  list  so  that  the  more  important  ones 
come  last.  (The  abbreviation  vs.  stands  for  versus,  meaning 
contrary  to  or  against) :  — 

Examinations.  Spending  vs.  saving. 

Being  kept  in.  Athletics. 

Home  study.  Dogs  in  the  house. 

Raising  hands.  Reading. 

Tardiness.  Relations  vs.  friends. 

Country  vs.  city.  Home  vs.  schools. 

Baseball  vs.  football.  Marks  vs.  knowledge. 


HOW   TO  BE  CONVINCING  255 

9.   Answer  the  following  questions  in  regard  to  school  clubs.     Give 

definite  reasons  for  each  answer.    Arrange  your  reasons  in 

order  of  importance  :  — 
Do  school  clubs  waste  pupils'  time? 
Are  they  more  valuable  than  class  work? 
Has  club  work  ever  done  much  for  boys  and  girls  whom  you 

know? 
Should  time  be  taken  out  of  school  for  club  work? 
Is  club  work  more  interesting  than  class  work  ? 
Does  every  student  get  as  great  an  opportunity  for  individual 

development  in  club  work  as  in  class  work? 

10.  Write  a  brief  advertisement  for  your  school  in  which  you  state 

reasons  why  pupils  have  better  opportunity  for  progress  there 
than  in  other  schools. 

11.  Write  an  advertisement  in  which  you  state  reasons  why  the 

pupils  of  your  school  should  attend  one  game  rather  than 
another  that  is  held  on  the  same  day. 

12.  The  following  letter  was  written  by  Lincoln  to  his  stepbrother, 

John  D.  Johnston.  Make  a  list  of  the  points  in  Lincoln's 
argument  against  the  loan.  Write  a  letter  such  as  Johnston 
might  have  written  to  Lincoln,  for  the  loan :  — 

January  2,  1851. 
Dear  Johnston:  Your  request  for  eighty  dollars  I  do  not 
think  it  best  to  comply  with  now.  At  the  various  times  when  I 
have  helped  you  a  httle  you  have  said  to  me,  "We  can  get  along 
very  well  now" ;  but  in  a  very  short  time  I  find  you  in  the  same 
difficulty  again.  Now,  this  can  only  happen  by  some  defect  in  your 
conduct.  What  that  defect  is,  I  think  I  know.  You  are  not  lazy, 
and  «till  you  are  an  idler.  I  doubt  whether,  since  I  saw  you,  you 
have  done  a  good  whole  day's  work  in  any  one  day.  You  do  not 
very  much  dislike  to  work,  and  still  you  do  not  work  much,  merely 
because  it  does  not  seem  to  you  that  you  could  get  much  for  it. 
This  habit  of  uselessly  wasting  time  is  the  whole  difficulty;  it  is 
vastly  important  to  you,  and  still  more  so  to  your  children,  that  you 
should  break  the  habit.  It  is  more  important  to  them,  because 
they  have  longer  to  live,  and  can  keep  out  of  an  idle  habit  before 
they  are  in  it,  easier  than  they  can  get  out  after  they  are  in. 


256  GOOD  ENGLISH 

You  are  now  in  need  of  some  money;  and  what  I  propose  is, 
that  you  shall  go  to  work,  "tooth  and  nail,"  for  somebody  who  will 
give  you  money  for  it.  Let  father  and  your  boys  take  charge  of 
your  things  at  home,  prepare  for  a  crop,  and  make  a  crop,  and  you 
go  to  work  for  the  best  money  wages,  or  in  discharge  of  any  debt 
you  owe,  that  you  can  get ;  and,  to  secure  you  a  fair  reward  for  your 
labor,  I  now  promise  you,  that  for  every  dollar  you  will,  between 
this  and  the  first  of  May,  get  for  your  own  labor,  either  in  money  or 
as  your  own  indebtedness,  I  will  then  give  you  one  other  dollar. 
By  this,  if  you  hire  yourself  at  ten  dollars  a  month,  from  me  you 
will  get  ten  more,  making  twenty  dollars  a  month  for  your  work. 
In  this  I  do  not  mean  you  shall  go  off  to  St.  Louis,  or  the  lead  mines, 
or  the  gold  mines  in  CaUf ornia,  but  I  mean  for  you  to  go  at  it  for  the 
best  wages  you  can  get  close  to  home  in  Coles  County.  Now,  if 
you  will  do  this,  you  will  be  soon  out  of  debt,  and,  what  is  better, 
you  will  have  a  habit  that  will  keep  you  from  getting  in  debt  again. 
But,  if  I  should  now  clear  you  out  of  debt,  next  year  you  would  be 
just  as  deep  in  as  ever.  You  say  you  would  almost  give  your  place 
in  heaven  for  seventy  or  eighty  dollars.  Then  you  value  your  place 
in  heaven  very  cheap,  for  I  am  sure  you  can,  with  the  offer  I  make, 
get  the  seventy  or  eighty  dollars  for  four  or  five  months'  work. 
You  say  if  I  will  furnish  you  the  money  you  will  deed  me  the  land, 
and,  if  you  don't  pay  the  money  back,  you  will  deliver  possession. 
Nonsense  I  If  you  can't  now  live  with  the  land,  how  will  you  then 
live  without  it?  You  have  always  been  kind  to  me,  and  I  do  not 
mean  to  be  unkind  to  you.  On  the  contrary,  if  you  will  but  follow 
my  advice,  you  will  find  it  worth  more  than  eighty  times  eighty 
dollars  to  you. 

Affectionately  your  brother, 

A.  Lincoln. 


LESSON   THIRTY  EIGHT 

Planning  an  Argument 

An  argument  that  is  formal,  that  is  conducted  in  strict 
order  by  chosen  sides,  is  called  a  debate.  Argumentative 
discussion  is  free  and  easy  and  conversational.     Formal 


HOW   TO  BE   CONVINCING  257 

debate  is  regulated  by  certain  rules  and  is  more  like  military 
action.  There  are  two  sides  to  a  debate :  those  on  the 
affirmative  side  argue  in  favor  of  the  question  as  stated. 
Those  on  the  negative  side  argue  against  the  question  as 
stated.  The  head  of  each  side  is  called  the  captain.  He 
directs  and  apportions  the  work  of  his  team,  which  may 
consist  of  two,  or  more. 

The  question  in  debate  is  written  as  a  statement  or  proposi- 
tion. It  is  usually  stated  with  the  word  Resolved  before  it, 
and  begins  with  the  word  That,  written  with  a  capital,  — 

Resolved :    That  the  school  day  should  be  lengthened. 
If  this  were  a  question  for  debate,  the  affirmative  side  would 
argue  for  the  lengthening  of  the  school  day.     The  negative 
side  would  insert  not  in  the  question,  so  that  it  would  read 
as  follows :  — 

Resolved  :  That  the  school  day  should  not  be  lengthened. 

The  negative  debaters  would  therefore  argue,  against  the 
lengthening  of  the  school  day. 

Propositions  for  debate  must,  of  course,  be  clearly  stated, 
otherwise  misunderstandings  will  be  created  that  no  end 
of  argument  can  remedy.  Moreover,  a  proposition  for 
debate  must  be  about  equally  arguable  on  both  sides.  A 
one-sided  question  is  unfair.  There  are  certain  questions 
that  cannot  be  argued  at  all  and  it  is  foolish,  therefore,  to 
waste  time  considering  them. 

The  following  question  is  not  clear :  — 
Resolved:    That  the  study  of  manual  training  is  good. 
It  is  vague  and  indefinite,  —  *Hhe  study  of  manual  train- 
ing" where?     In  elementary  school?     In  high  school?     In 
college  ?     "  Good ' '  —  for  what  ? 

The  following  question  is  one-sided  :  — 

Resolved  :  That  every  boy  of  fifteen  should  be  in  school, 
s 


258  GOOD  ENGLISH 

There  are  many  reasons  to  be  given  for  the  affirmative  of 
this  proposition.  There  are  few,  if  any,  to  be  given  for  the 
negative. 

The  following  questions  are  not  arguable  at  all.  They 
are  accepted  as  facts :  — 

Resolved  :  That  respect  should  be  paid  to  age. 
Resolved  :  That  food  is  a  necessity  of  life. 

The  captain  and  all  the  members  of  the  debating  teams 
must  of  course  have  a  definite  plan  in  presenting  their 
material.  Their  first  task  is  to  get  thoroughly  acquainted 
with  the  question.  They  must  know  why  it  is  important, 
how  it  arises,  what  every  word  in  it  means,  what  considera- 
tions come  under  it,  what  considerations  do  not  belong  to 
it  at  all.  This  last  is  very  important.  It  is  sometimes 
called  *' boiling  down  the  question"  or  "weeding  out  the 
question."  No  good  debater  is  willing  to  spend  his  time 
on  arguing  points  that  do  not  belong  to  the  question.  He 
insists  upon  narrowing  it  down  to  its  proper  scope. 

After  the  members  of  a  debating  team  have  studied  their 
question  so  well  that  they  know  not  only  everything  that 
may  be  said  on  their  side  of  it,  but  also  everything  that  may 
be  said  on  the  opposite  side  of  it,  they  are  ready  to  plan 
their  chief  arguments.  They  will  not  write  them  out  solidly 
but  will  plan  them  in  great  detail.  The  speakers  use  their 
plans  as  guides  but  they  do  not  memorize  their  speeches. 

The  captain  and  his  aides  will  decide  what  must  be  proved 
in  order  to  win  the  debate,  which  of  their  points  are  strongest, 
which  points  will  make  the  greatest  appeal  to  their  audience, 
which  arguments  of  their  opponents  need  to  be  particularly 
guarded  against,  which  points  are  best  to  leave  in  the  minds 
of  the  auditors  at  the  close  of  the  debate,  and  how  their 
arguments  shall  be  arranged.     All  along  the  line  they  will 


HOW   TO  BE  CONVINCING  259 

insert  word  pictures  or  little  stories  or  important  facts  that 
bear  directly  upon  the  proposition. 
The  plan,  then,  will. stand  somewhat  as  follows :  — 

I.  Explanation  of  the  proposition. 

Why  it  is  important,  how  it  arises,  what  it  means,  what  it 
does  not  mean,  into  what  divisions  does  it  fall? 
*  II.  Presentation  of  arguments. 

Statement  of  all  the  facts  that  bear  upon  the  proposition. 

A  good  story  or  a  telling  word  picture  that  will  win  the  at- 
tention of  the  audience  at  once. 

A  complete  disarming  of  opponents  by  stating  what  they 
may  say  in  opposition,  and  then  refuting  it. 

Statements  from  prominent  people  who  are  on  your  side. 

Quotations  from  books  that  bear  out  your  arguments. 

Experiences  of  your  own  or  others  that  prove  your  side  of 
the  proposition. 
III.   Summary  of  the  principal  pomts  you  have  offered,  and  a 
brief  statement  of  the  things  your  opponents  have  failed 
to  prove. 

Arguments  are  settled  and  facts  estabUshed  by  drawing 
conclusions  from  a  certain  course  of  reasoning.  Therefore 
every  assertion  made  must  be  based  on  facts  and  proved  by 
your  reasoning;  and  furthermore,  this  reasoning  must  be 
sound.  If  arguments  are  sound,  then  conclusions  are  safe. 
If  they  are  not  sound,  conclusions  will  be  unsafe  or  absurd, 
or  both.* 

A  false  argument  is  called  a  fallacy.  As  a  rule  it  cannot 
be  disguised.  Sometimes,  however,  a  fallacy  can  be  made 
to  seem  so  like  the  truth  that  it  is  accepted  as  such.  Sup- 
pose we  state  an  argument  briefly  in  three  parts,  thus,  — 

(1)  Everybody  should  take  exercise. 

(2)  Football  is  an  exercise. 

(3)  Therefore,  everybody  should  play  football. 


260  GOOD  ENGLISH 

This  may  be  used,  perhaps,  in  an  effort  to  persuade  a  large 
number  of  pupils  to  become  candidates  for  the  team.  But 
it  is  a  false  argument.  Premise  (1)  is  sound.  Premise  (2) 
is  sound.  The  fallacy  exists  in  the  concluding  proposition. 
It  does  not  follow  that  everybody  should  play  football 
simply  because  everybody  should  exercise  and  football  is 
an  exercise.  There  are  many  other  kinds  of  exercise  omitted 
entirely  from  the  argument.     Football  is  only  one. 

And  again  there  may  be  weaknesses  in  other  forms  of 
argument  that  you  will  often  use.  If  you  trust  to  the  state- 
ment of  some  prominent  person  to  prove  your  point,  you 
must  be  sure  that  he  is  really  an  authority  on  the  subject, 
and  that  he  is  not  prejudiced  in  your  favor.  Otherwise  his 
testimony  will  be  unreliable.  If  you  try  to  prove,  say,  that 
bad  ventilation  leads  to  restlessness  in  the  schoolroom,  you 
must  be  sure  that  there  is  no  other  possible  cause  for  this 
effect.  If  there  is,  your  argument  is  fallacious.  If  you  try 
to  prove  that  John  will  be  able  to  succeed  in  business  be- 
cause he  was  a  good  captain  of  the  football  team,  your 
comparison,  and  therefore  your  argument,  may  be  again 
fallacious.  The  conditions  of  business  life  are  very  different 
from  those  that  John  encountered  on  the  football  field. 
After  you  have  made  a  complete  plan  for  your  argument 
it  is  well  to  test  each  part  of  its  reasoning  for  unreliable 
testimony,  and  for  fallacies  in  the  premises,  in  cause  and 
effect,  or  in  comparison.  If  you  do  not,  your  opponents  will, 
later,  do  it  for  you. 

Finally,  you  must  not  forget  that  each  and  every  debate 
has  conditions  peculiar  to  itself  that  must  be  respected. 
The  occasion  of  the  debate  and  the  kind  of  proposition 
must  decide  finally  just  what  line  of  development  your  argu- 
ments shall  take.  A  vivid  word  picture  may  be  necessary 
for  a  certain  proposition.     A  good,  appropriate  story  may 


HOW   TO   BE   CONVINCING  261 

do  more  with  a  certain  type  of  audience  than  any  amount 
of  reasoning.  And  again,  the  emphatic  and  dehberate 
presentation  and  explanation  of  facts  may  be  the  only 
winning  cards  you  can  play.  Whatever  may  be  the  char- 
acter of  the  debate,  the  plan  on  page  259  holds  good  in  two 
important  respects,  —  the  question  must  be  explained  at 
the  outset  and  the  arguments  of  opponents  must  be  met. 

Refutation  or  rebuttal  is  the  name  given  to  meeting  the 
arguments  of  an  opponent  and  upsetting  or  offsetting  them. 
Rebuttal  should  be  made,  indirectly,  all  along  the  line  of 
presentation,  as  indicated  in  the  above  plan.  If  you  know 
both  sides  of  the  question,  you  will  be  able  to  anticipate 
all  opposing  arguments.  But  it  is  customary  to  assign  to 
a  speaker  on  each  side  of  the  debate  a  few  minutes  at  the 
close  to  refute  directly  the  arguments  of  his  opponents. 
This  needs  to  be  done  in  brief  and  concise  fashion  for  the 
time  is  very  hmited  and  the  last  impression  made  upon  an 
audience  is  a  valuable  one.     The  refutation  should,  — 

(1)  Answer  your  opponents'  questions. 

(2)  State  your  opponents'  weakness  in  the  debate. 

(3)  Summarize  the  strongest  arguments  you  have  made. 
Here  again,  however,  much  depends  upon  the  demands 

of  the  occasion  and  the  type  of  proposition  debated. 

There  are  a  few  cautions  or  suggestions  that  it  is  well  to 
bear  in  mind  in  connection  with  planning  a  debate,  — 

(1)  Do  not  deal  with  all  the  arguments  presented  by  an  oppo- 
nent. Take  one  or  two  salient  ones  and  hit  them  hard.  All  of  his 
arguments  are  not  equally  important  and  it  is  therefore  a  waste 
of  time  to  try  to  refute  them  all. 

(2)  Do  not  overburden  an  audience  with  figures  and  authorities. 
These  are  valuable  assets  in  a  debate  and  should  be  used.  But 
sometimes  a  little  story  or  a  clear-cut  word  picture  will  do  much  more 
for  a  debate  than  laborious  quotations. 


262  GOOD  ENGLISH 

(3)  Do  not  be  afraid  of  making  admissions.  If  your  opponent 
has  a  good  point,  admit  it  freely.  Then  follow  it  up  with  a  better 
one  on  your  side. 

(4)  Do  not  dodge  questions  asked  by  your  opponent  and  do  not 
dodge  points  on  your  side  of  the  argument  that  may  seem  weak. 
Always  take  a  weak  point  and  try  to  turn  it  into  a  strong  one. 

(5)  Do  not  fail  in  debating  to  be  earnest  and  dignified  and 
courteous  and  square. 

Now  all  this  may  seem  to  be  a  good  deal  to  keep  in  mind 
in  connection  with  planning  for  debate.  But  after  all,  it  is 
only  the  natural  order  of  thinking  and  speaking  that  is 
required  of  you.  A  little  practice  will  develop  a  natural 
tendency  to  argue  clearly  and  soundly  almost  without 
being  aware  of  it. 

PRACTICE 

1.   Explain  what  is  wrong  with  each  of  the  following  arguments :  — 

(1)  Horses  are  animals  with  four  feet.     Men  are  animals; 

hence,  men  have  four  feet. 

(2)  Tom  Ferguson,  a  boy  in  om*  school,  was  killed  in  a  foot- 

ball game ;    therefore,  boys  should  not  be  allowed  to 
play  football. 

(3)  Andrew  Carnegie  was  a  poor  boy  but  he  made  millions 

of  dollars.     I  am  a  poor  boy  and  shall  therefore  make 
millions  of  dollars. 

(4)  When  I  asked  John  where  he  was  going  he  said,  "To  the 

store."     A  httle  later  I  met  him  going  in  the  opposite 
direction ;    therefore,  he  intended  to  deceive  me. 
•(5)  It  always  snows  on  Washington's  Birthday.    Tomorrow 
is  Washington's   Birthday;    therefore,   it   will   snow 
tomorrow. 

(6)  It  is  the  lightning  that  makes  the  air  cool  after  a  thunder 

storm. 

(7)  The  elephant  has  a  trunk.     I  have  a  trunk ;  therefore,  I 

am  an  elephant. 

(8)  The  price  of  milk  is  too  low.     The  milkman  told  me  so. 

(9)  The  doctor  is  at  home.     I  see  his  overcoat  on  the  hook. 


HOW   TO  BE   CONVINCING  263 

(10)  The  Eskimos  eat  raw  fat  in  cold  weather ;   and  so  should 
we. 

2.  The  following  questions  are  not  good  ones  as  they  stand.     Exam- 

ine each  one  briefly  and  tell  why  it  is  not  a  good  proposi- 
tion for  debate.  Then  restate  it  so  that  it  becomes  a  good 
question :  — 

(1)  Air  is  necessary  for  life. 

(2)'  Going  to  the  movies  too  much  is  a  waste  of  time. 

(3)  The  wanton  killing  of  birds  is  wrong. 

(4)  Everybody  should  go  to  church  on  Sunday. 

(5)  Biting  the  nails  is  a  bad  habit. 

(6)  Too  much  time  should  not  be  spent  in  swimming. 

(7)  Good  books  should  be  supplied  by  every  library. 

(8)  Much  money  is  wasted  in  the  world. 

3.  Plan  an  argument  for  either  the  affirmative  or  the  negative  of 

one  of  the  following  propositions  :  — 

Resolved :  That  tennis  is  better  exercise  than  baseball. 

Resolved  :  That  girls  are  more  studious  than  boys. 

Resolved :  That  girls  and  boys  should  attend  separate  schools. 

Resolved:  That  school  buildings  should  be  but  one  story  in 
height. 

Resolved  :  That  men  are  more  influential  for  good  than  women. 

Resolved :  That  it  is  better  to  be  born  poor  than  to  be  born 
rich. 

Resolved :  That  seeing  a  good  play  does  one  more  good  than 
reading  a  good  story. 

Resolved :  That  contests  between  school  teams  foster  rowdy- 
ism. 

Resolved :  That  dogs  and  horses  can  reason. 

Resolved :  That  every  boy  in  this  country  should  receive  in- 
struction in  military  tactics. 

4.  Use  one  of  the  following  sentences  as  the  topic  of  a  paragraph. 

Follow  it  up  with  sentences  that  emphasize  the  idea  con- 
tained in  it :  — 

(1)  Every  school  should  publish  a  weekly  or  a  monthly  paper. 

(2)  Street  cars  should  not  be  permitted  to  carry  more  passen- 

gers than  can  be  seated. 

(3)  Pupils  should  be  notified  of  their  class  standing  in  each 

subject  at  the  end  of  every  week. 


264  GOOD  ENGLISH 

(4)  Libraries  should  be  required  to  have  copies  of  textbooks  that 

are  used  in  the  schools  in  their  vicinity. 

(5)  Girls  should  not  be  asked  to  contribute  to  the  support  of 

athletics  in  which  they  take  no  part. 

5.  Plan  the  argument  for  each  side  of  one  of  the  following  cases. 

Imagine  yourself  a  lawyer.  Remember  that  the  jury  is 
going  to  decide  the  case  on  the  basis  of  the  arguments  pre- 
sented and  that  the  judge  is  going  to  render  verdict  accord- 
ingly :  — 

(1)  Brown  fell  and  broke  his  leg  on  the  icy  pavement  in  front 

of  Green's  house.  He  sued  Green  for  damages.  Green 
resisted  because  he  was  away  at  the  time  the  accident 
occurred  and  his  house  was  closed. 

(2)  Brown's  horse,  frightened  by  Green's  automobile,  dashed 

into  Green's  garden,  broke  down  the  fence,  and  did 
much  damage  to  the  vegetables.  Green  demands 
damages.  But  Brown  enters  counter-suit  for  damage 
to  his  carriage  and  to  himself. 

(3)  Brown  advertised  a  horse,  sound  and  all  right,  for  sale. 

Green  bought  the  horse.  Two  weeks  after  purchase 
the  horse  died  suddenly,  not  having  been  sick  a  day. 
Green  sued.     Brown  resisted. 

(4)  Brown's  boy  was  caught  in  Green's  cellar,  stealing  apples. 

He  got  away,  however,  and  ran  home.  Green  ran  after 
him  and  threw  a  stone  at  him.  The  stone  hit  Brown, 
the  boy's  father,  who  sued  Green  for  damages.  Green 
resisted. 

(5)  Brown  left  the  street  door  of  his  cellar  open  and  Green  fell 

into  the  cellar.  Green  sued  Brown  for  criminal  neglect. 
Brown  resisted,  however,  saying  that  the  cellar  door  had 
been  left  open  by  the  owner  of  the  building  who  was 
having  coal  stored  in  the  cellar. 

6.  Select  two  members  of  your  class  ta  act  as  captains  on  affirma- 

tive and  negative  sides  respectively  of  a  debate  on,  — 
Resolved:    That  every  pupil  in  the  last  year  of  elementary 
school  and  first  year  of  high  school  should  be  re- 
quired to  study  a  foreign  language. 
Suppose  each  captain  is  to  have  two  assistants.     Have  the 
arguments  on  each  side  stated,  and  assigned. 


HOW   TO   BE   CONVINCING  265 

7.  Defend  by  means  of  argumentative  plans  some  preference, 

such  as,  — 
My  reasons  for  liking  Scott  better  than  Shakespeare. 
My  reasons  for  liking  Jim  better  than  John. 
My  reasons  for  preferring  swimming  to  rowing. 
My  reasons  for  preferring  travel  by  land  to  travel  by  sea. 
My  reasons  for  advocating  a  shorter  rather  than  a  longer  school 

day. 

8.  Study  some  event  in  history  or  some  problem  in  arithmetic  and 

draw  up  a  plan  for  the  argument  contained  in  it. 

9.  List  all  the  arguments  for  and  against  the  following.     Then 

make  plans  for  the  rebuttal  on  both  sides :  — 
Mother  should  vote  if  Father  does. 
The  navy  is  more  important  than  the  army. 
The  horse  is  a  more  valuable  animal  than  the  cow. 
Automobile  traffic  should  be  confined  to  certain  streets. 
The  only  way  to  become  a  debater  is  by  membership  in  a  club. 

10.    Write  two  paragraphs  on  one  of  the  following.     In  the  first 

state  the  advantages  and  in  the  second  the  disadvantages  of 

the  proposition  selected  :  — 
Every  school  should  have  a  library. 
All  lessons  assigned  for  the  morrow  should  be  prepared  in 

school  today. 
School  should  be  in  session  from  eight  until  two,  instead  of  from 

nine  until  three. 
Newspapers  should  not  carry  advertisements. 
Monday  would  be  a  better  school  holiday  than  Saturday. 


LESSON   THIRTY  NINE 
Poetry  That  Argues 

The  poems  in  this  lesson  may  be  used  as  an  interesting 
review  of  the  principles  of  argument. 

Study  the  two  poems  below.  State  the  formal  proposition 
for  each  poetic  argument.  Make  a  plan  of  the  argument  in 
each.     Make  a  plan  for  the  other  side  of  each  question. 


266 


GOOD  ENGLISH 


Owl  Against  Robin  ^ 

(By  Sidney  Lanier) 

Frowning,  the  owl  in  the  oak  complained  him 
Sore,  that  the  song  of  the  robin  restrained  him 
Wrongly  of  slumber,  rudely  of  rest. 

''From  the  north,  from  the  east,  from  the. south  and  the  west, 
Woodland,  wheat-field,  corn-field,  clover, 
Over  and  over  and  over  and  over, 
Five  o'clock,  ten  o'clock,  twelve,  or  seven. 
Nothing  but  robin-songs  heard  under  heaven : 
How  can  we  sleep? 

Peey  !  you  whistle,  and  cheep !  cheep !  cheep ! 
Oh,  peep,  if  you  will,  and  buy,  if  'tis  cheap. 
And  have  done ;  for  an  owl  must  sleep. 
Are  ye  singing  for  fame,  and  who  shall  be  first? 
Each  day's  the  same,  yet  the  last  is  worst. 
And  the  summer  is  cursed  with  the  silly  outburst 
Of  idiot  red-breasts  peeping  and  cheeping 
By  day,  when  all  honest  birds  ought  to  be  sleeping. 
Lord,  what  a  din !    And  so  out  of  all  reason. 
Have  ye  not  heard  that  each  thing  hath  its  season  ? 
Night  is  to  work  in,  night  is  for  play-time ; 
Good  heavens,  not  day-time ! 
*  Used  by  permission  of  Charles  Scribner's  Sons. 


HOW   TO  BE   CONVINCING  267 

A  vulgar  flaunt  is  the  flaring  day, 

The  impudent,  hot,  unsparing  day. 

That  leaves  not  a  stain  nor  a  secret  untold,  — 

Day  the  reporter,  —  the  gossip  of  old,  — 

Deformity's  tease,  —  man's  common  scold  — 

Poh !    Shut  the  eyes,  let  the  sense  go  numb 

When  day  down  the  eastern  way  has  come. 

'Tis  clear  as  the  moon  (by  the  argument  drawn 

From  Design)  that  the  world  should  retire  at  dawn. 

Day  kills.    The  leaf  and  the  laborer  breathe 

Death  in  the  sun,  the  cities  seethe, 

The  mortal  black  marshes  bubble  with  heat 

And  puff  up  pestilence ;  nothing  is  sweet 

Has  to  do  with  the  sun :  even  virtue  will  taint 

(Philosophers  say)  and  manhood  grow  faint 

In  the  lands  where  the  villainous  sun  has  sway 

Through  the  livelong  drag  of  the  dreadful  day. 

What  Eden  but  noon-light  stares  it  tame. 

Shadowless,  brazen,  forsaken  of  shame  ? 

For  the  sun  tells  lies  on  the  landscape,  —  now 

Reports  me  the  what,  unrelieved  with  the  how,  — 

As  messengers  lie,  with  the  facts  alone, 

Delivering  the  word  and  withholding  the  tone. 

But  oh,  the  sweetness,  and  oh,  the  light 

Of  the  high-fastidious  night ! 

Oh,  to  awake  with  the  wise  old  stars  — 

The  cultured,  the  careful,  the  Chesterfield  stars, 

That  wink  at  the  work-a-day  fact  of  crime 

And  shine  so  rich  through  the  ruins  of  time 

That  Baalbec  is  finer  than  London ;  oh, 

To  sit  on  the  bough  that  zigzags  low 

By  the  woodland  pool. 
And  loudly  laugh  at  man,  the  fool 
That  vows  to  the  vulgar  sun ;  oh,  rare, 
To  wheel  from  the  wood  to  the  window  where 


268 


GOOD  ENGLISH 


A  day-worn  sleeper  is  dreaming  of  care, 
And  perch  on  the  sill  and  straightly  stare 
Through  his  visions ;  rare,  to  sail 
Aslant  with  the  hill  and  a-curve  with  the  vale, 
To  flit  down  the  shadow-shot-with-gleam. 
Betwixt  hanging  leaves  and  starlit  stream, 
Hither,  thither,  to  and  fro. 
Silent,  aimless,  dayless,  slow 


BUT   OH,    THE    SWEETNESS,    AND   OH,  THB    LIGHT 
OP  THB   HIGH-FASTIDIOUS   NIGHT  I  " 


HOW   TO  BE   CONVINCING  269 

(Aimless  f    Field-mice  f    True,  they're  slain, 
But  the  night-philosophy  hoots  at  pain, 
Grips,  eats  quick,  and  drops  the  bones 
In  the  water  beneath  the  bough,  nor  moans 
At  the  death  life  feeds  on).     Robin,  pray 

Come  away,  come  away 
To  the  cultus  of  night.    Abandon  the  day. 
Have  more  to  think  and  have  less  to  say. 
And  cannot  you  walk  now?    Bah !  don't  hop ! 

Stop! 
Look  at  the  owl,  scarce  seen,  scarce  heard, 
O  ii-ritant,  iterant,  maddening  bird !  " 


The  Owl  Critic 

(By  James  T.  Fields) 

"Who  stuffed  that  white  owl?"     No  one  spoke  in  the  shop 
The  barber  was  busy,  and  he  couldn't  stop ; 
The  customers,  waiting  their  turns,  were  all  reading 
The  Daily,  the  Herald,  the  Post,  little  heeding 
The  young  man  who  blurted  out  such  a  blunt  question ; 
Not  one  raised  a  head,  or  even  made  a  suggestion ; 
And  the  barber  kept  on  shaving. 

"Don't  you  see.  Mister  Brown," 

Cried  the  youth  with  a  frown, 

"How  wrong  the  whole  thing  is, 

How  preposterous  each  wing  is. 

How  flattened  the  head  is,  how  jammed  down  the  neck  is  — 

In  short,  the  whole  owl,  what  an  ignorant  wreck  'tis ! 

"I  make  no  apology; 

I've  learned  owl-eology. 

I've  passed  days  and  nights  in  a  hundred  collections, 

And  cannot  be  blinded  to  any  deflections 


270  GOOD  ENGLISH 

Arising  from  unskilful  fingers  that  fail 
To  stuff  a  bird  right,  from  his  beak  to  his  tail. 
Mister  Brown !    Mister  Brown ! 
Do  take  that  bird  down, 

Or  you'll  soon  be  the  laughing-stock  all  over  town ! " 
And  the  barber  kept  on  shaving. 

*'I've  studied  owls 
And  other  night  fowls, 
And  I  tell  you 
What  I  know  to  be  true : 
An  owl  cannot  roost 
With  his  limbs  so  unloosed ; 
No  owl  in  this  world 
Ever  had  his  claws  curled, 
Ever  had  his  legs  slanted, 
Ever  had  his  bill  canted. 
Ever  had  his  neck  screwed 
Into  that  attitude. 


"  He  can't  do  it,  because 
'Tis  against  all  bird-laws. 
Anatomy  teaches. 
Ornithology  preaches 
An  owl  has  a  toe 
That  canH  turn  out  so ! 
I've  made  the  white  owl  my  study  for  years, 
And  to  see  such  a  job  ahnost  moves  me  to  tears  I 
Mister  Brown,  I'm  amazed 
You  should  be  so  gone  crazed 
As  to  put  up  a  bird 
In  that  posture  absurd  ! 

To  look  at  that  owl  really  brings  on  a  dizziness ; 
The  man  who  stuffed  him  doesn't  half  know  the  business !" 
And  the  barber  kept  on  shaving. 


HOW   TO  BE   CONVINCING  271 

"Examine  those  eyes. 
I'm  filled  with  sm^prise 
Taxidermists  should  pass 
Off  on  you  such  poor  glass ; 
So  unnatural  they  seem 
They'd  make  Audubon  scream, 
And  John  Burroughs  laugh 
To  encounter  such  chaff. 
Do  take  that  bird  down ; 
Have  him  stuffed  again,  Brown !" 
And  the  barber  kept  on  shaving. 

"With  some  sawdust  and  bark 

I  could  stuff  in  the  dark 

An  owl  better  than  that. 

I  could  make  an  old  hat 

Look  more  like  an  owl 

Than  that  horrid  fowl. 

Stuck  up  there  so  stiff  like  a  side  of  coarse  leather. 

In  fact,  about  him  there's  not  one  natural  feather." 

Just  then,  with  a  wink  and  a  sly  normal  lurch. 
The  owl,  very  gravely,  got  down  from  his  perch. 
Walked  round,  and  regarded  his  fault-finding  critic 
(Who  thought  he  was  stuffed)  with  a  glance  analytic, 
And  then  fairly  hooted,  as  if  he  would  say : 
"Your  learning's  at  fault  this  time,  anyway; 
Don't  waste  it  again  on  a  five  bird,  I  pray. 
I'm  an  owl ;  you're  another.     Sir  Critic,  good-day ! " 
And  the  barber  kept  on  shaving. 

LESSON  FORTY 

Paragraphs  That  Convince 

If  your  attempts  to  convince  readers  and  hearers  still 
"hang  fire"  after  the  preceding  lessons,  the  trouble  is  prob- 


272  GOOD  ENGLISH 

ably  to  be  found  in  your  paragraphs.  No  matter  how  good 
your  outline,  if  your  topics  do  not  unroll  neatly  into  good 
paragraphs,  you  will  neither  write  nor  speak  convincingly. 
Paragraphs  as  well  as  sentences  must  be  emphatic. 

Now  a  paragraph  that  is  clearly  and  logically  developed 
from  a  topic  sentence,  as  explained  on  page  191,  is  usually 
emphatic.  Compare  the  two  following  paragraphs.  The 
first  is  emphatic,  the  second  is  not,  because  the  first  is  clearly 
and  coherently  developed  from  the  topic  sentence,  while 
the  second  is  confused  and  disorderly  in  its  arrangement  of 
sentences :  — 

A  young  man  should  not  claim  exemption  from  service  to  his 
government  unless  the  reasons  are  compelling.  Children  that  will 
starve  without  his  support,  a  mother  dependent  upon  him,  a  physical 
weakness  that  will  render  him  useless  in  the  field,  all  these  are  reasons 
for  exemption.  But  without  such  excuses,  he  should  offer  to  "do 
his  bit"  and  do  it  gladly. 

Some  men  have  children  who  must  be  fed.  Others  must  work 
for  a  dependent  mother.  With  such  reasons  as  these  a  man  may 
claim  exemption  from  service  to  his  government.  Otherwise  he 
should  "do  his  bit"  and  do  it  gladly.  Physical  weakness,  which 
would  render  him  useless  in  the  field,  is  also  a  cause  for  exemption. 

Develop  every  topic  in  your  speech  or  your  letter,  open  it 
outward  like  a  fan,  and  you  will  be  emphatic  in  your  writ- 
ing and  therefore  convincing. 

There  are,  however,  other  lesser  aids  for  making  para- 
graphs emphatic  thdt  may  be  studied  briefly. 

1.  Position.  The  first  and  the  last  parts  in  a  paragraph 
are  the  emphatic  places,  just  as  they  are  in  a  sentence  or  in 
a  whole  composition.  But,  as  has  been  said  above,  if  you 
develop  your  topic  sentence  properly,  the  important  ideas 
will  go   almost  automatically  into   the   emphatic   places. 


HOW   TO   BE   CONVINCING  273     ^. 

However,  in  paragraphs,  as  in  sentences,  an  unusual  para- 
graph beginning  or  ending  may  be  a  forceful  device.  Any 
departure  from  the  ordinary  that  will  get  the  reader's  atten- 
tion, any  shock  or  challenge,  may  be  employed  with  good 
effect.  Good  literature  abounds  with  paragraphs  that  open 
or  close  with  such  arresting  words  and  phrases  as,  —  It 
did  not !   Bang  !    Done  for  I     The  colonel  winced. 

2.  Variety.  The  paragraphs  in  a  long  composition  bear 
very  much  the  same  relation  to  one  another  as  sentences 
do  within  a  paragraph.  It  follows,  therefore,  that  the  rules 
for  variety  among  sentences  in  a  paragraph  may  be  applied 
to  paragraphs  in  a  composition.  Some  should  be  long,  some 
short.  They  should  not  all  be  developed  in  one  monotonous 
fashion  by  putting  the  topic,  for  instance,  in  the  first  sen- 
tence, and  then  expanding  it.  A  series  of  such  paragraphs, 
all  constructed  exactly  alike,  would  scarcely  be  emphatic. 
See  pages  190  to  193  for  the  different  methods  of  paragraph 
development  that  are  at  your  command. 

Read  your  paragraphs  aloud  after  you  have  written  them. 
You  may  be  able  to  develop  an  ear  and  a  feeling  for  para- 
graphs, just  as  you  do  for  words  and  sentences.  A  very 
good  criticism  was  recently  given  in  a  classroom  after  the 
members  of  a  class  had  listened  to  one  of  their  number 
read  a  composition.  When  the  teacher  asked  for  comment 
one  pupil  said,  ''It  doesn't  sound  'paragraphy'  enough.'^ 
The  new  word  he  used  was  expressive,  if  not  authorized. 
With  a  little  thoughtful  study  of  paragraphing  you  will 
soon  find  that  the  paragraphs  in  a  composition  sound  very 
much  the  same  as  the  stanzas  in  a  poem.  They  should 
proceed  with  the  same  smoothness,  and  should  indicate 
definite  and  emphatic  changes  or  partitions  in  the  thought. 
Do  not  be  satisfied  with  your  compositions  until  they  sound 
''paragraphy."     Others  will  not. 


274  GOOD  ENGLISH 


PRACTICE 

1.  Examine  the  paragraphs  in  the  extract  on  page  169  for  empha- 

sis by  position,  and  for  variety. 

2.  Write  a  convincing  paragraph  on  one  of  the  following  topic 

sentences.     Use  repetition  :  — 
It  would  be  a  mistake  to  lengthen  the  school  day. 
Marks  do  not  give  a  just  estimate  of  a  pupil's  work. 
Elementary  schools  and  high  schools  should  be  housed  in  the 

same  buildings. 
The  movies  do  more  harm  than  good. 

3.  Write  three  paragraphs,  —  the  first  in  favor  of  your  candidate 

for  the  presidency  of  your  club ;  the  third,  against  the  rival 
candidate ;  the  second,  a  brief  transitional  paragraph  between 
the  two. 

4.  In  a  single  paragraph  contrast  one  of  your  friends  with  another. 

Alternate  the  sentences,  so  that  the  first  will  tell  about  one 
friend,  the  second  about  the  other,  and  so  forth. 

5.  In  a  single  paragraph  contrast  one  of  your  friends  with  another. 

Let  the  first  half  of  the  paragraph  deal  with  one  friend,  the 
latter  half  with  the  other. 

6.  Write  two  paragraphs  to  prove  that  the  decision  in  some  con- 

test was  unfair.  In  the  first  one  explain  why  it  was  unfair. 
In  the  second  express  your  indignation  at  the  unfairness. 
Perhaps  these  topics  may  be  suggestive  :  — 

Unfair  Judges.  Winning  to  Lose. 

"Game"  Losers.  What's  the  Use! 

7.  Plan  a  composition  of  five  or  six  paragraphs  on  one  of  the  fol- 

lowing topics.  Indicate  just  what  part  of  the  subject  each 
paragraph  is  to  deal  with.  Point  out  transitional  paragraphs. 
Write  topic  and  summary  sentences  for  each  paragraph  :  — 

Clubs  —  Good  and  Bad.  Fighting  for  Marks. 

Athletics  —  Good  and  Bad.  Teachers  —  Fair  and  Unfair. 

Records  —  in  School  and  Out.  Wasted  Saturdays. 

Betting  is  Wrong.  Arithmetic  vs.  English. 


HOW   TO  BE   CONVINCING  275 

8.  Study  the  means  of  securing  emphasis  employed  in  the  follow- 

ing paragraphs :  — 

If  one  person  should  say  to  another  that  he  acted  or  carried  on 
like  a  goat,  he  might  be  guilty  of  a  discourtesy ;  to  say  he  is  "capri- 
cious" sounds  a  little  more  genteel.  It  means  the  same,  though 
it  is  neither  as  forcible  nor  as  figurative  a  term.  It  is  not  so  much 
a  faded  metaphor  as  a  condensed  one.  The  word  comes  from  the 
Italian  capriccio,  "the  skipping  movements  of  a  goat"  ;  it  in  turn 
comes  from  the  Latin  caper,  a  "he-goat."  And  so  capricious  means 
goat-hke,  to  act  Uke  a  goat,  to  be  unsteady,  fickle,  changeable,  apt 
to  change  one's  opinions  suddenly.  Whoever  has  seen  a  goat 
feeding  on  some  vacant  lot  can  readily  see  the  similarity  between 
the  actions  of  a  goat  and  a  capricious  person ;  the  goat  will  take  a 
nibble  of  grass  at  this  place  and  suddenly  jump  to  another  place 
for  another  nibble ;  a  capricious  person  will  change  his  opinions 
just  as  suddenly  and  as  arbitrarily.  There  is  no  telling  what  either 
will  do  the  next  moment.  —  E.  Schultz  Gerhard  in  American  Educa- 
tion. 

Just  as  many  of  the  terms  designating  the  different  kinds  of  ani- 
mals whether  wild  or  domesticated,  are  indicative  of  the  place  from 
which  they  come,  so  many  of  the  words  designating  the  countless 
varieties  of  dress  goods  and  fabrics  take  their  origin  from  the  place 
where  they  were  first  manufactured.  There  is  wiapped  up  in  them 
a  great  deal  of  the  history  of  the  textile  industry  of  the  world.  The 
commonest  names  of  dress  goods  have  an  ancient  and  interesting 
history  back  of  them.  "CaUco"  receives  its  name  from  Calicut 
(Calcutta,  according  to  French) ;  "muslin"  is  named  after  Moussul, 
a  city  in  Turkey ;  "madras"  comes  from  Madras  in  India ;  "cash- 
mere" is  from  Kashmir,  a  state  north  of  India ;  and  "lawn"  is  from 
Laon,  a  town  near  Rheims.  "Cambric,"  another  cloth  as  important 
as  common,  was  first  made  in  Cambray,  France.  "Lisle,"  whether 
thread  or  hose  made  of  Hsle  silk,  came  first  from  the  city  of  Lisle 
in  French  Flanders ;  and  "worsted"  is  so  called  because  it  was  first 
manufactured  in  Worsted,  England.  —  Ibid. 

9.  The  class  debate  was  interrupted  by  the  luncheon  beU.     Alice 

had  by  no  means  finished  speaking.  She  would  rather  "  have 
her  say  "  than  her  luncheon.  So  here  she  is,  standing  on  a 
soap  box  in  the  school  yard,  finishing  her  argument.    Write 


276 


GOOD  ENGLISH 


two  paragraphs  about  the  picture.  In  the  first  tell  what  she 
is  saying.  In  the  second  tell  what  impression  she  is  making 
on  those  gathered  around  her. 


"votes  fob  women! 


LESSON   FORTY   ONE 

Speaking  to  Convince 

If  you  are  a  member  of  a  little  club  you  know  how  neces- 
sary it  is  that  order  be  maintained  at  meetings.  Unless 
order  is  maintained  all  the  members  will  talk  at  once,  con- 
fusion will  result,  and  no  business  will  be  completed.  It  is 
necessary,  therefore,  that  strict  rules  be  observed,  that  things 
run  with  precision  and  clocklike  regularity.  For  the  pur- 
pose, therefore,  of  getting  the  most  out  of  club  meetings  of 


HOW   TO   BE   CONVINCING  277 

all  kinds,  a  certain  definite  procedure  has  to  be  observed. 
This  is  called  parliamentary  order,  so  named  because  it  is 
based  upon  the  rules  of  order  of  the  English  Parliament  and 
of  other  governmental  bodies.  After  all,  these  bodies  are 
nothing  but  extremely  large  and  important  clubs  for  the 
conduct  of  national  business.  The  business  of  your  little 
club  is  not  so  important,  but  it  should  be  conducted  with 
dignity  and  seriousness. 

The  officers  of  your  club  are  president,  vice-president, 
secretary,  treasurer.  Perhaps  you  also  have  a  corresponding 
secretary.  If  so,  then  he  will  look  after  the  letter  writing. 
He  will  send  out  invitations,  notices,  challenges,  and  so 
forth.  The  other  secretary  will  simply  record  the  happen- 
ings at  meetings  and  keep  his  reports,  called  minutes,  in  a 
book  for  reference.  His  special  name  is  recording  secretary. 
These  are  the  customary  club  officers.  The  names  them- 
selves make  little  difference.  No  matter  whether  you  call 
your  club  a  council  or  a  camp  fire,  no  matter  whether  you 
call  your  president  a  chief  or  a  guardian,  the  organization 
is  the  same,  and  the  necessity  for  orderly  behavior  is  just  as 
important. 

The  general  conduct  of  a  meeting  of  your  club  should  be 
about  as  follows  :  — 

1.  Call  to  order. 

2.  Roll  call. 

3.  Secretary's  report. 

4.  Left-over  business. 

5.  New  business. 

(Under  4  and  5  may  come  reports  of  officers  and  of 
special  committees  appointed  by  the  president.) 

6.  Announcement  of  program  for  next  meeting. 

(This  may  be  a  regular  entertainment  by  the  members 
of  the  club,  or  it  may  be  a  challenge  debate,  a  con- 


278  GOOD  ENGLISH 

test  of  another  sort,  or  a  speech  by  a  distinguished 
visitor,  and  so  forth.) 

7.  The  program. 

(Songs,   stories,   speeches,   dances,   demonstrations, 
debating,  and  so  forth.) 

8.  Adjom-nment. 

In  speaking  either  from  the  platform  or  from  the  floor  in  a 
club  meeting,  a  speaker  should  address  the  leader  as  *'Mr. 
President"  or  "Mr.  Chairman,"  and  wait  until  he  is  recog- 
nized by  the  presiding  officer  before  he  proceeds  to  speak. 
Not  to  do  this  is  to  speak  out  of  order,  a  very  confusing  and 
discourteous  action.  After  a  speaker  is  recognized  by  the 
chair,  he  "has  the  floor,"  and  he  may  not  be  interrupted 
if  he  is  making  a  formal  speech.  If  he  is  speaking  in  some 
general  discussion  he  may  be  interrupted  only  by  the  chair- 
man or  by  some  one  who  wishes  information  about  certain 
points  that  are  being  discussed.  Some  clubs  fine  members 
who  interrupt  or  who  talk  from  the  floor  without  recognition 
by  the  speaker. 

In  debating  it  is  necessary  to  address,  not  only  the 
president  of  the  club  or  the  presiding  officer  of  the 
debate,  but  the  judges  of  the  debate,  and  the  audience; 
thus,  — "  Mr.  Chairman,  Honorable  Judges,  Ladies  and 
Gentlemen." 

It  is  better  form  for  the  presiding  officer  at  a  club  meet- 
ing to  stand  in  recognizing  speakers,  except  in  the  case  of 
rapid,  heated  discussion  in  which  speakers  address  the 
chair  in  quick  succession.  He  should  remain  standing 
until  the  speaker  addresses  him  in  return. 

A  chairman,  in  introducing  a  speaker,  should  be  brief 
and  definite  in  his  remarks.  He  may  state  whence  the 
speaker  comes,  what  his  interests  are,  what  he  is  going  to 
speak  about,  why  he  comes  to  speak,  and  so  forth.    At  the 


HOW   TO  BE   CONVINCING  279 

conclusion  of  his  introductory  remarks,  he  should  give  the 
full  name  of  the  speaker.  This  is  the  speaker's  signal  to 
stand  and  recognize  the  chairman,  either  by  nod  of  the 
head  or  by  the  words,  ''Mr.  Chairman."  The  speaker 
should  not  stand  until  he  hears  his  name  announced  by  the 
presiding  officer. 

When  opportunities  to  speak  present  themselves  do  not 
shrink  from  them.  Ability  to  meet  a  situation  that  calls 
for  speaking,  especially  informal  or  unprepared  speaking, 
should  be  zealously  cultivated.  Join  a  club.  Be  an  active 
member.  If  you  are  called  upon  to  prepare  a  speech 
in  the  club,  do  so  gladly  and  eagerly.  Be  more  eager, 
however,  to  enter  into  the  informal  discussions  that  take 
place.  It  is  in  unprepared  speaking  that  your  club  will 
be  of  greatest  service  to  you,  if  you  will  permit  it.  Poise, 
readiness,  and  alertness  to  meet  opposition  in  speaking 
are  all  three  to  be  attained  through  activity  in  club 
work. 

The  principal  types  of  unprepared  speaking  are,  — 

Announcements  Introductions 

Presentations  Acceptances 

Criticisms  Story  telUng 

After-dinner  speeches 

Some  of  these  may  be  prepared,  wholly  or  in  part.  As 
a  rule,  however,  the  necessity  for  any  one  of  them  is  likely 
to  arise  without  notification,  and  it  must  be  met  with  readi- 
ness. You  cannot  write  or  memorize  in  advance,  though 
you  may  ponder  for  a  Httle  while  and  make  up  your  mind 
as  to  the  general  line  of  your  remarks. 

Detailed  rules  cannot  therefore  be  laid  down  for  any  of 
these  types  of  speeches  because  they  depend  upon  the  oc- 
casion on  which  they  are  given  for  form  and  content.    Brev- 


280  GOOD  ENGLISH 

ity  and  point,  force  and  clearness,  are  essential  to  all.  Have 
a  brief  but  definite  plan  and  hold  to  it.  If  you  are  making 
an  announcement,  — 

(1)  Tell  what  you  are  announcing. 

(2)  Explain  the  circumstances. 

(3)  Urge  support. 

Do  not  give  (3)  before  (1)  and  (2).  Similarly,  in  the 
other  types,  follow  some  regular  order  and  strip  your  speech 
of  all  unnecessary  material.  Explain  tersely  the  circum- 
stances. Conclude  definitely  with  a  person's  name,  if  you  are 
introducing ;  with  the  gift,  if  you  are  presenting  something ; 
with  an  expression  of  gratitude,  if  you  are  accepting  some- 
thing. Observe  keenly  the  method  of  other  speakers  in 
meeting  demands  made  upon  them  for  informal  speeches. 
In  your  school  career  you  have  many  opportunities  not  only 
to  make  informal  speeches  yourself,  but  to  hear  good  ones 
made  by  others. 

PRACTICE 

1.  Make  an  announcement  to  your  classmates.     Have  some  one 

reproduce  it  in  order  to  see  whether  you  have  made  yourself 
perfectly  clear.  Perhaps  it  is  an  announcement  of  some 
game,  some  club  meeting,  a  special  exercise  in  school,  or  the 
postponement  of  an  entertainment. 

2.  Imagine  that  your  class  is  giving  a  present  to  a  teacher.     Make 

an  appropriate  little  speech  of  presentation. 

3.  Reproduce  the  teacher's  speech  of  acceptance  of  the  gift. 

4.  Make  a  connected  criticism  of  a  speech.     Remember  that 

criticism  is  of  two  kinds,  destructive  and  constructive,  discour- 
aging and  helpful.  Make  yours  helpful  and  coiu*teous. 
Start  by  commending  the  good  points.  Reserve  unfavor- 
able criticism  for  the  middle  of  your  criticism.  Conclude,  if 
possible,  with  favorable  criticism. 


HOW   TO  BE   CONVINCING  281 

5.  Tell  to  your  class  a  story  or  a  bit  of  news  that  you  have  read. 

Invite  criticism  and  repeat  your  talk  in  accordance  with  criti- 
cism received. 

6.  A  former  teacher  of  yours  from  another  school  has  come,  upon 

your  invitation,  to  address  your  school  club.     Introduce  him. 

7.  You  have  been  asked  to  make  excuses  to  your  club  for  the 

absence  of  one  of  the  most  prominent  speakers  on  the 
program.  Make  a  speech  in  which  you  explain  his  absence 
sympathetically. 

8.  One  of  your  colleagues  on  a  debating  team  is  mysteriously  ab- 

sent when  the  debate  is  called.  Make  inquiry  in  open  meet- 
ing as  to  his  absence.  Ask  the  chairman  to  postpone  the 
debate  until  he  can  be  found  or  until  his  absence  can  be  ac- 
counted for. 

9.  Suppose  that  you  are  chairman  at  a  debate.     Announce  the 

question  to  the  audience;  explain  who  the  debaters  are; 
name  the  judges ;  explain  the  conditions  of  the  debate,  that 
is,  the  number  of  speakers  on  each  side,  the  length  of  time 
each  may  speak,  the  conditions  of  refutation. 
10.  Conduct  a  class  discussion  on  some  subject  of  vital  school  in- 
terest. Appoint  some  one  to  act  as  chairman.  Talk  from 
your  seats  rather  than  from  the  front  of  the  room.  Insist 
upon  parliamentary  order  in  every  respect. 

LESSON   FORTY  TWO 

Words  That  Convince 

Words  are  to  writing  and  speaking  what  the  bullet  is  to 
the  gun.  At  the  end  of  every  new  study  of  construction  or 
thought  development  you  must  reconsider  your  choice  of 
words,  the  little  bullets  that  carry  your  thought.  You 
cannot  be  thoroughly  interesting  without  vivid  words,  no 
matter  how  interesting  your  thought  is.  You  cannot  be 
clear  without  accurate  words,  no  matter  how  clear  your 
thought  is.     You  cannot  convince  without  the  right  words. 

Words  come  into  our  language  from  numerous  sources. 


282  GOOD  ENGLISH 

Many  of  our  common  words  were  immigrants  that  have 
become  naturalized.  Latin  has  contributed  many  words 
to  our  language,  so  many  that  some  people  insist  upon  a 
knowledge  of  that  language  for  those  who  would  know 
English  thoroughly.  Many  of  our  Latin  words  have  come 
to  us  through  French,  Spanish,  or  Italian,  all  of  which  lan- 
guages are  themselves  chiefly  Latin  in  origin.  Anglo- 
Saxon  was  the  language  spoken  in  England  before  the 
Norman  Conquest.  The  simplest  words  in  the  EngUsh 
language  today  are  usually  of  Anglo-Saxon  origin, — most 
words  of  one  syllable  and  words  that  apply  to  the  simpler 
pursuits  and  activities  of  men.  Greek  has  contributed 
many  words  that  have  to  do  with  science.  The  Greek 
language  offers  unusual  opportunities  for  the  formation  of 
compound  words.  When  a  new  word  is  needed  to  meet 
some  new  invention,  Greek  is  oftentimes  the  language  that 
supplies  it.  Gram,  for  instance,  is  Greek  for  writing ;  added 
to  Marconi,  marconigram,  it  means  wireless  writing,  or  writing 
according  to  Marconi,  the  inventor  of  wireless  telegraphy. 

But  words  come  into  the  language  from  many  sources 
other  than  these  three  principal  ones.  From  Italian  come 
stiletto,  macaroni,  piano;  from  Russian,  steppe,  knouty 
samovar;  from  Spanish,  negro,  tornado,  renegade;  from 
Malay,  bamboo;  from  Hindu,  chintz;  from  Arabic,  tariff; 
from  German,  noodle;  from  American  Indian,  tobacco, 
tomato,  and  many  of  our  place  names.  English  is  a  world 
language.  It  draws  words  from  all  quarters  of  the  earth 
and  uses  them  as  it  finds  them  or  adapts  them  to  use  through 
convenient  modification.  The  customary  method  of  in- 
dicating origin  in  the  dictionary  is  by  means  of  brackets 
and  the  sign  <,  thus, — old  [<AS,  eald,  old]',  home  [<AS, 
ham,  home].  AS  stands  for  Anglo-Saxon;  L  for  Latin; 
F  for  French ;  G  for  Greek,  etc.     (See  page  97.) 


HOW   TO   BE   CONVINCING 


283 


Words  are  built  up  from  combinations.  Most  words  of 
more  than  one  syllable  have  been  constructed  by  making 
additions  at  one  end  or  the  other.  An  addition  made  at 
the  beginning  of  a  word,  modifying  its  meaning,  is  called  a 
prefix.  An  addition  made  at  the  end  of  a  word,  modifying 
its  meaning,  is  called  a  suffix.  The  central  part  of  a  word, 
or  the  original  part  to  which  prefixes  and  suffixes  are  added, 
is  called  the  root.  In  the  word  subjection,  for  instance,  sub 
is  the  prefix,  ject  the  root,  tion  the  suffix.  The  root  ject  is 
from  the  Latin  jacere,  meaning  to  throw;  sub  is  a  Latin 
word,  meaning  under;  tion  is  a  French  suffix  derived  from 
Latin,  meaning  state  of.  The  word  subjection  therefore  means 
"state  of  being  thrown  under  or  placed  under  authority." 

When  the  last  letter  of  the  prefix  is  the  same  as  the  first 
letter  of  a  root,  one  of  the  letters  may  be  dropped,  or  the 
prefix  may  be  modified  in  order  to  make  pronunciation 
easier.  The  prefix  sub  may  thus  become  sue  in  success 
{sub  and  cedo,  to  go)  for  subcess  would  be  an  awkward  com- 
bination. For  the  same  reason  it  becomes  suf  in  suffer 
{sub  and /ero,  to  bear),  sug  in  suggest  {sub  and  gero,  to  bring), 
sup  in  support  {sub  and  porto,  to  carry).  Likewise,  the  last 
letter  of  the  root  of  a  word  or  the  first  of  a  suffix  may  be 
dropped  when  they  are  the  same,  as  in  subjection  above. 


PRACTICE 


1.    Look  up  the  following  words  in  the  dictionary.     Tell  from  what 
language  each  one  is  taken :  — 


abacus 

coffer 

mezzotint 

silk 

albatross 

cruise 

moccasin 

slaughter 

alligator 

divan 

nankeen 

sofa 

bazaar 

epaulette 

orange 

tam  o'shanter 

boor 

gingham 

pastel 

tea 

bouquet 

gong 

poodle 

waltz 

canto 

jubilee 

rattine 

wigwam 

carnival 

lilac 

sabbath 

yacht 

284 


GOOD  ENGLISH 


2.  Be  able  to  spell  the  following  words.  Point  out  the  prefix  and 
the  root  of  each.  Explain  any  modifications  of  prefixes  that 
you  find.     State  the  exact  meaning  of  each  word :  — 


absolute 

elapse 

persevere 

semiannual 

accept 

evince 

perspire 

semicolon 

anteroom 

extreme 

persuade 

substance 

antitheses 

forehead 

postgraduate 

substitute 

avert 

forestall 

preamble 

suburbs 

beseem 

forewarn 

prefix 

superb 

bestir 

illuminate 

prelude 

superintendent 

circumnavigation      impute 

preposition 

superlative 

circumspect 

insight 

prologue 

superstition 

collect 

insult 

promote 

symmetry 

commission 

interfere 

pronoun 

transfer 

confess 

interval 

reflect 

transpose 

consume 

interrupt 

resign 

traverse 

decrease 

miscalculate 

retract 

tricolor 

degrade 

misprint 

retroact 

undo 

demerit 

mispronounce 

retrocede 

unfortunate 

dialect 

nonentity 

retrospect 

unkempt 

dialogue 

obUterate 

revenge 

unnerve 

difiference 

obUvion 

seclude 

uplift 

disease 

observe 

secrete 

upstart 

dissemble 

perpetual 

secure 

ultra-studious 

3.    Be  able  to  i 

spell  the  following  words.      Point  out  the  suffix  and 

the  root  of  each.     Explain  i 

any  modification  of  suffixes  that 

you  find. 

State  the  exact  meaning  of  each  word :  — 

capable 

elegance 

celebrate 

independence 

culpable 

hesitancy 

congregate 

independent 

enable 

accountant 

fluctuate 

bribery 

profitable 

attendant 

nominate 

finery 

confederacy 

blatant 

fluency 

stationery 

frontal 

calendar 

politician 

janitress 

gradual 

similar 

guessed 

negress 

African 

contrary 

traded 

beautify 

American 

necessary 

nominee 

gratify 

appearance 

stationary 

conference 

magnify 

countenance 

associate 

difiference 

blissful 

HOW   TO  BE  CONVINCING 


285 


cupful 

immortalize 

idleness 

attitude 

impossible 

memorize 

advisor 

latitude 

responsible 

respectfully 

creator 

promptitude 

politics 

respectively 

suitor 

solitude 

puerile 

sincerely 

cinematograph 

casualty 

supplying 

truly 

biography 

guaranty 

delicious 

argument 

occasion 

ambiguous 

glorious 

augment 

omission 

vestibule 

pugilist 

blandishment 

attention 

southward 

curiosity 

greatness 

consecutive 

westward 

4.  It  is  clear  from  what  is  said  at  the  beginning  of  this  lesson,  that 
words  are  formed  in  various  ways.  Sometimes  they  are  in- 
vented outright.  Sometimes  nouns  and  adjectives  and  verbs 
and  adverbs  are  joined  together  to  form  new  combinations, 
as  in  runaway.  Sometimes  proper  names  are  used  so  com- 
monly that  they  become  common  nouns.  Explain  each  of  the 
following  words,  —  its  meaning  and  its  origin  :  — 

chipper  makeshift  downfall 

sizzle  clodhopper  railroad 

tobogganing  garage  smart 

hoodlum  cackle  bronco 

dairymaid  caw  rumble 

gospel  whirr  bedlam 


holiday    • 

cheep 

ragamuffin 

booni 

giggle 

breakfast 

Christmas 

steamboat 

camouflage 

runaway 

fiddlesticks 

copperhead 

5.    Look  up  the  ten  following  "home  words, 
guage  does  each  come  ?  — 


From  what  Ian- 


home 
mother 


father 
sister 


brother 
son 


daughter 
child 


hearth 
love 


6. 


Look  up  the  ten  following  school  words, 
does  each  come  ?  — 

school  study  pupil 

book  teacher  desks 


From  what  language 


class 
mate 


boy 
girl 


7.  Following  are  some  common  word  roots.  Add  prefixes  or 
suffixes,  or  both,  to  them,  and  tell  the  meaning  of  each  word 
you  build :  — 

form  tract  junct  jeet  feet 

tend  fleet  rupt  miss  fer 


286  GOOD  ENGLISH 

8.  Give  a  simpler  and  shorter  word  for  each  of  the  following  long 

ones.     Point  out  the  origin  of  both  the  long  word  and  its 
shorter  equivalent.     Tell  from  what  language  each  word  is 
taken :  — 
abominable  redundant  '  excruciating 

stupendous  emphatically  leviathan 

despicable  colossally  interminable 

9.  From  your  knowledge  of  prefixes,  show  that  each  of  the  follow- 

ing expressions  contains  a  repetition.     Write  each  one  prop- 
erly :  — 

divide  up.  precede  before. 

descend  down.  retrograde  backward. 

connect  with.  subject  under. 

explain  about.  three-cornered  triangle. 

retreated  back.  circumnavigate  around  the  world. 

10.  Look  up  the  terms  bronco  and  bronco  busting  in  the  dictionary. 
In  the  light  of  the  information  found  tell  just  what  is  happen- 
ing in  the  picture  opposite.  Use  as  many  words  as  you  can 
that  are  special  to  the  situation,  —  rear,  whoa,  wild,  break, 
fiery,  and  so  forth.  Then  tell  what  is  happening,  in  the  lan- 
guage of  one  who  is  watching  the  sport  supposedly  for  the  first 
time.  This  person's  vocabulary  will  probably  contain  many 
words  having  prefixes  and  suffixes  such  as,  unbroken,  defiant, 
dangerous,  unmanageable,  and  so  forth.  List  as  many  as  you 
think  applicable  to  the  picture. 


CHAPTER  V 

HOW  TO  BE  THOROUGH 

Introduction 

No  one  needs  to  be  told  that  thoroughness  is  the  first 
rule  for  doing  anything  well.  The  question  is  not  '^Why 
be  thorough?''  —  that  answers  itself.  It  is  "How  to  be 
thorough  in  writing  and  speaking."  Care  in  preparation, 
care  in  expression,  care  in  revision  —  these  are  the  three 
guideposts  for  thoroughly  good  writing  and  good  speaking. 
Care  in  preparation  and  care  in  expression  have  been  em- 
phasized in  every  lesson  in  this  book.  Careful  revision  will 
be  the  chief  subject  of  this  Chapter. 

LESSON   FORTY  THREE 

Correcting  Your  Own  Compositions 

Learn  to  criticize  yourself.  You  know  your  faults  and 
your  weaknesses.  Correct  them  before  anybody  else  has  a 
chance  to  do  so.  Self-criticism  is  a  valuable  attainment. 
Criticism  that  others  make  of  your  work  may  be  helpful 
and  encouraging.  Criticism  made  by  yourself  of  your  own 
work  is  a  good  deal  more  likely  to  be  corrective.  It  is  a 
sign  of  real  ability  to  be  able  to  educate  yourself.  Learn, 
therefore,  to  correct  your  own  speech  and  writing.     Be  un- 

288 


HOW   TO  BE   THOROUGH  289 

sparing  in  criticism  of  your  own  work  before  you  pass  it  on 
to  another  for  criticism.  In  education,  as  in  all  other  things, 
you  can  be  helped  by  others  only  provided  you  help  yourself. 

Everything  that  you  write  for  others  should  be  carefully 
read  over  before  it  is  passed  on.  Read  your  compositions 
through  first  of  all  to  see  whether  or  not  you  have  carried 
out  the  plan  you  had  in  mind  before  you  began.  If  the 
composition  or  the  letter  does  not  read  clearly,  then  one  of 
two  things  has  happened.  Either  you  did  not  carry  out 
your  plan ;  or  it  was  not  a  good  plan.  In  either  case  there 
is  only  one  thing  to  be  done,  —  rewrite.  The  meaning  of 
the  word  revision  is  re-seeing.  You  see  as  a  whole  the  piece 
of  work  that  you  planned  part  by  part.  It  is  this  second 
sight  that  enables  you  to  judge,  before  it  is  too  late,  whether 
you  have  failed  or  succeeded. 

If  you  are  satisfied  with  your  plan  and  the  way  it  is  carried 
out,  then  read  through  again  to  detect  misspelled  words. 
Read  through  a  third  time  to  detect  faulty  punctuation. 
Read  through  a  fourth  time  to  detect  your  ''pet"  error  in 
grammar,  and  so  forth.  You  know  from  former  work  and 
from  former  correction  what  errors  you  are  likely  to  make. 
Every  one  has  his  own  special  difficulties.  In  speaking,  be 
equally  unsparing.  Keep  in  mind  the  errors  in  speech  for 
which  you  have  been  criticized  on  former  occasions.  It  may 
be  well  to  have  them  on  a  piece  of  paper  before  you,  as  sign- 
posts telling  you  what  directions  not  to  take.  You  should 
keep  a  little  notebook  for  the  listing  of  special  errors  and 
their  correction. 

There  are  many  ways  of  calUng  attention  to  error  in 
written  composition.  Certain  signs  are  sometimes  placed 
in  the  margin  opposite  the  line  in  which  an  error  occurs.  A 
misspelled  word,  for  instance,  may  be  indicated  by  a  check, 
y/,  or  by   the  abbreviation  sp.      If  something  has  been 


290  GOOD  ENGLISH 

omitted,  the  caret,  A ,  may  be  used  to  call  attention  to  the  fact. 
The  sign  H  means  that  paragraph  indention  should  be  made ; 
no  If  means  that  no  such  indention  is  required.  Faulty  punc- 
tuation may  be  pointed  out  by  the  letter  p  or  by  the  abbre- 
viation punc,  or  the  proper  punctuation  mark  maybe  placed 
in  a  caret,  thus,  A .  The  abbreviation  cap.  may  be  used  to 
indicate  required  capitalization;  the  abbreviation  I.e.,  to  in- 
dicate that  small  letters  should  be  used  instead  of  capitals. 
It  is  better  not  to  have  a  too  elaborate  scheme  for  marking 
errors  in  composition  work,  for  the  machinery  of  correction 
is  of  course  far  less  important  than  the  correction  itself. 

Below  are  two  letters  containing  errors.  Following  these  is 
a  composition  that  also  has  certain  errors  in  it.  Both  the 
letters  and  the  composition  are  well  planned,  but  the  errors 
in  them  are  serious  and  should  not  be  permitted  to  occur. 
Suppose  you  read  the  letters  and  the  composition  through 
three  times  or  more.  The  first  reading  (in  this  instance)  is  for 
misspelled  words,  which  are  indicated  by  a  circle.  The  second 
reading  is  for  faulty  punctuation,  which  is  indicated  by  a 
triangle.  The  third  and  subsequent  readings  are  for  faulty 
grammar,  including  omissions,  repetitions,  incomplete  sen- 
tences, lack  of  unity  and  coherence  or  clearness,  and  so  forth. 
These  errors  are  indicated  by  a  square.  Sometimes  these 
marks  are  connected  by  a  line,  to  show  some  inconsistent 
relation  among  errors.  If,  for  instance,  a  word  is  spelled  in 
two  ways,  the  circles  marking  the  words  are  connected.  Each 
of  these  three  signs  is  usually  at  the  very  place  where  error 
occurs.  Opposite,  on  the  margin  nearest  to  the  error,  is 
reference  to  the  lesson,  the  page,  and  sometimes  the  section 
where  a  particular  kind  of  error  is  treated  in  this  book. 

Study  these  corrected  pieces  of  work  carefully.  Point  out 
merits  in  them.  Look  up  every  reference  given.  Rewrite 
correctly. 


HOW  TO  BE   THOROUGH  291 

•Mytvf   xXuJ/    aJLwvJ  AJkAAX/    jCU    AYdtAn/JU^/  y<rv    xXu/ 
/yyiaJcu/  aW    X^    XAxaP    M^   AA/vxcld/  .^fUAAuaJfu/ 


<:;AuAJtXAA4i,, 


292  GOOD  ENGLISH 


Pa*/-^        Y)M/  CWu^  Q/-    liA^AMir^/m^A/yiA^Au/  Art  xlu/  rijt/r\MjJXf 

P^rvutAAAxXlffyy    'V/rvy^^UA^,    ^SfS      ryUAMlt' d/AJuX/,  (^'fuJU/.. 

MJyXJk/  /wu/    xoW/   ajA^  A/w/  jtJfjuJk/  ■{cA\/n4A/A>ajOu,  mZt^ 
/y^Mj/  At<HAnydA/nay   A/yJ    Jru^U^tO^M/ ^(^■i£tu/.   (JU/  /tint/  At/€Al/ 
/JM/ip     AAiU^AjUaX9\/   M*AAAUh     )Ul£/    jtAvtiAt/    y^lMAurd/^  .t^fu/Kt' 

''\ieJJL   J  J     AifU/    AAm/   yaAA/(/    -yU^  Ay\AAy    XlttJ/  .AJiK^AM/ 

iWiX^AMXb,  AifW  aaaM/  JfjiAroJ^AJ/  ul^i^  "hA/^  ajajuzLl 
IPaJ*       U/y[/  AAy^^X^vCj/    Xf    AH/    A^r^^AjLuA/n^  AjULOAaLI^  /mt/.Jl  AMaM/ 


s^i^A  ""yio^xJU  f^AJtU/  czSx>ja(f 


=>>VH4/ 


HOW  TO  BE  THOROUGH  293 


GRANNY  GRAMMAR'S  PARTY 


Granny  Grammar  one  day  gave  a  party  to  all 
her  children.  However,  not  a  single  one  of 
them  behaved  altogether  to  Granny's  liking. 

i»3^  Master  NouiV^or  instance,  ^ho[  Granny  has  al-  f*^'\% 
ways  been  partial  to,  did  nothing  but  call  out 
names  all  the  time.  Names  of  people/^ames  of   R544 
places,  names  of  things,  he  screamed  at  the 
top  of  his  voice.  Little  Master  Pronoun  helped 

vzsz   him  along  with  the  noisy  bu^^ss,  and  sulked  a 
good  deal  because  he  wasn't  given  greater 
opportunity  to  act  as  his  substitute.  Master 
Adjective  huddled  close  to  Masters  Noun  and 
Pronoun  throughout  the  party.  He  was  ever  and 
anon  describing  them  to  the  others  present  and 
accounting  for  their  weird  behavior.  But 
Master  Verb  was  the  life  of  the  party,  though 
he  was  the  most  unruly  of  Granny  Grammar's 

Tioff  child^r^.  He  simply  would  not  be  still  a 

moment,  but  danced  and  frolicked  all  over  the 
place.  I  never  saw  any  one  so  active  as  he 
was.  He  dominated  everybody  and  everything. 


294  GOOD  ENGLISH 

and  was  quite  the  most  Important  person 
present.  Master  Adverb  traipsed  around  after 
him,  or  tried  to,  all  the  time,  doing  his 
best  to  account  for  Master  Ver^s] astonishing  ?.3t5 
maneuvers.  Master  Preposition  made  it  his 
particular  business  to  go  about  and  strike  up 
relations  among  the  rest,  much  to  their  annoy- 
ance sometimes;  and  Master  Conjunction  busied 
himself  connecting  this  one  with  that  one, 
trying  to  arrange  them  in  some  sort  of  con- 
sistent grouping.  Master  Interjection  was  so 
overcome  with  emotion  at  the  sight  of  so  great 
disorder  and  confusion  that  he  cried  one  minute 
and  laughed  the  next,  blubbering  and  ejaculating 
continuously. 

By  and  by,  the  noise  and  hubbub  made  by  her 

"Rioj"  unruly  ohild^rn)  began  to  tell  on  Granny  Gram- 
mar's nerves.  /After  a  good  many  attempts  at 
discipline  shk   found  herself  actually  obliged 
to  impose  sentence  upon  them.  With  great 
sternness  am   dignity  of  manner  she  arranged 
them  in  a  r*w  and  resolutely  said,  "Hush!  my 

Pwi-  dear  child(^en)  should  behave  quietly  and 
politely  in  my  presence." 


HOW   TO  BE   THOROUGH  295 


PRACTICE 

1.  Select  a  subject  for  a  composition  from  the  lists  on  page  183  or 

224.  Make  a  careful  plan  for  a  composition  of  about  four 
himdred  words.  Let  one  of  your  classmates  write  the  com- 
position, using  your  plan.  Then  criticize  the  development  of 
the  whole  composition  from  the  plan,  and  the  construction  of 
each  paragraph.  Was  the  original  plan  at  fault?  If  it  has 
been  changed  in  the  writing  out,  was  the  change  a  good  one  ? 
Should  the  composition  be  reconstructed  and  rewritten,  or 
merely  corrected? 

2.  Revise  by  replanning  and  then  rewriting  the  following   para- 

graph :  — 
The  negroes  working  upon  the  foundations  of  the  great  hotels 
in  St.  Augustine,  Florida,  sang  songs  as  they  labored.  A  play  song 
is  different.  As  the  natives  carry  sacks  of  coal  to  the  steamers  in 
the  port  of  Curasao,  they  sing  a  chorus,  to  the  rhythm  of  which  each 
step  is  taken.  As  the  chorus  ends  a  bag  of  coal  is  dumped  into  the 
hold ;  and  then  the  song  goes  on.  A  play  song  may  be  a  lullaby, 
or  a  love  song,  or  a  humorous  song.  The  chief  difference  between 
a  work  song  and  a  play  song  is  that  the  former  is  sung  by  a  group 
of  laborers  to  accompany  some  task  that  they  work  upon  together ; 
while  the  latter  is  sung  by  an  individual  and  expresses  some  personal 
emotion,  or  tells  a  story.  In  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  you  can 
hear  the  negroes  at  night  thrumming  on  banjos  as  they  sit  on  the 
curbstones  of  the  streets,  and  singing  songs  or  hymns  just  to  amuse 
themselves.  The  chorus  is  the  important  part  of  a  work  song ;  in 
the  play  song  the  chorus  is  less  important  than  the  narrative  or 
whatever  it  is  makes  up  the  body  of  the  song.  There  are  harvest 
songs,  spinning  songs,  hunting  songs,  planting  songs,  building  songs, 
and,  among  savages,  war  songs ;  but,  with  savages,  war  is  part  of 
the  day's  work. 

3.  Mark  a  letter  or  a  composition  of  your  own  for  correction. 

Place  on  the  margin  exact  references  to  the  lessons  in  this  book 
that  should  be  consulted  for  the  principles  involved. 

4.  Have  one  of  your  classmates  rewrite  a  composition  of  your 

own  that  you  have  marked  for  correction.     Be  sure  that  he 


296  GOOD  ENGLISH 

makes  every  correction  in  accordance  with  the  references  you 
have  pointed  out. 

5.  Correct  and  rewrite  a  composition  written  by  one  of  your  class- 

mates. Compare  his  errors  with  those  you  make  yourself. 
Do  you  both  have  the  same  kind  of  difficulty,  that  is,  do  both 
of  you  make  the  same  kind  of  errors  ? 

6.  Write  a  short  composition  on  one  of  the  following  topics,  and 

submit  it  to  your  classmates  for  correction:  — 

Criticism  of  Myself  by  Myself. 

Criticism  of  Myself  by  Others. 

The  Kind  of  Criticism  I  Like. 

The  Kind  of  Criticism  that  I  Heed. 

The  Kind  of  Criticism  that  Discourages. 

Listening  to  Criticism,  and  Profiting. 

Listening  to  Criticism,  and  Forgetting. 

Criticizing  Others. 

Criticism  and  Ridicule. 

Criticism  and  Sympathy. 

Errors  Caused  by  Lack  of  Training. 

Errors  Caused  by  Carelessness. 

Errors  Caused  by  Inattention. 

Errors  I  Was  Born  With. 

Errors  I  Have  Learned  from  my  Companions. 

7.  What  kinds  of  errors  are  likely  to  be  made  as  the  result  of  care- 

lessness? Enumerate  them.  Point  out  errors  of  this  kind 
in  the  letters  and  the  composition  above,  or  in  your  own  work. 

8.  On  the  other  hand,  what  errors  in  the  letters  and  the  composition 

above  are  due  entirely  to  lack  of  knowledge  or  training? 
Which  sort  of  errors  do  you  consider  the  more  serious,  those 
that  result  from  carelessness  or  those  that  result  from  igno- 
rance and  lack  of  skill  ?     Why? 


HOW   TO  BE    THOROUGH  297 

LESSON  FORTY  FOUR 

Testing  Your  Speech 

It  is  more  difficult  to  correct  speech  than  it  is  to  correct 
writing.  Words  when  spoken  pass  away.  Words  when 
written  remain.  However,  you  can  and  must  do  much  to 
make  your  speech  clear  and  correct.  Cultivate  an  accurate 
eye  and  an  accurate  ear.  Mispronunciation  is  due  often- 
times to  mis-hearing,  just  as  misspelling  is  due  to  mis-seeing. 
It  takes  more  than  a  glance  to  see  a  word  exactly.  The  eye 
must  dwell  upon  a  word  until  the  letters  and  their  positions 
are  fixed.  In  the  same  way,  words  must  be  pronounced  so 
that  every  syllable  can  be  heard.  Words  that  are  spelled 
and  pronounced  nearly  alike  are  frequently  mistaken  one  for 
another,  and  results  may  be  serious  if  the  words  are  widely 
different  in  meaning.  It  is  easy  to  see  augment  for  argument, 
infantry  for  infancy,  peace  for  please,  affect  for  effect,  if  your 
habits  of  seeing  are  careless.  It  is  still  easier  to  hear  one  of 
these  words  instead  of  the  other,  unless  they  are  pronounced 
accurately. 

When  one  word  ends  with  the  same  or  nearly  the  same 
sound  as  that  which  begins  the  next  word,  it  is  easy  to  pro- 
nounce the  two  sounds  as  one.  Make  certain  that  both 
y's  are  heard  in  the  name  Dolly  Young,  that  both  k's  are 
distinctly  pronounced  in  bookkeeper,  that  such  words  as  the 
following  are  kept  clearly  apart  by  distinct  pronunciation  :  — 
canceled  date,  beautiful  landscape,  Mary's  smile,  silent 
treachery,  great  deal. 

Check  up  such  errors  as  these,  both  in  your  own  speech 
and  in  the  speech  of  your  classmates.  Be  a  sincere  critic 
of  yourself,  a  kind  but  firm  one  of  your  friends,  in  the  cor- 
rection of  such  mispronunciations  as,  — 


298  GOOD  ENGLISH 

an  for  and  et  for  ate  futher  for  further 

git  for  get  haf       for  have  hunderd  for  hundred 

kin  for  can  nuther  for  another  ond  for  once 

perty  for  pref^?/  ?/owse    for  you  yit  for  !/ei 

It  may  not  be  necessary  to  interrupt  a  classmate  when 
he  has  mispronounced  a  word.  But  while  he  is  speaking 
you  may  jot  down  his  mispronunciations  and  politely  call 
his  attention  to  them  afterward.  This  will  be  a  help  to 
him  and  will  also  put  you  on  guard  in  your  own  speechmaking. 

Study  particularly  the  mispronunciations  listed  on  pages 
104  to  106.  Make  a  list  of  your  *'pet"  mispronunciations 
and  practise  unceasingly  to  correct  them. 

It  is  not  only  mispronunciation  of  words  that  needs  to  be 
checked  up  by  rigid  criticism.  Misconstructions  or  un- 
grammatical  expressions  need  equal  attention.  Below, 
some  of  the  most  common  misconstructions  in  English  are 
listed  under  certain  parts  of  speech.  This  list  should  be  of 
great  service  in  the  criticism  of  class  speeches.  One  pupil 
may  act  as  pronoun  critic ;  another  as  verb  critic ;  and  so 
on.  The  one  criticized  may  thus  be  enabled  to  connect 
his  special  troubles  with  certain  parts  of  speech  and  may 
direct  his  study  accordingly.  Some  overlapping  is  made 
necessary  in  the  list  by  the  fact  that  some  frequently  mis- 
used words  may  be  employed  as  more  than  one  part  of 
speech ;  yet,  for  instance,  being  both  an  adverb  and  a  con- 
junction, is  listed  under  both  headings. 

Fix  'in  your  mind  the  correct  form  of  the  examples  in  the 
following  list  by  sheer  repetition.  Train  your  ear  to  English 
sensitiveness,  just  as  the  musician's  ear  is  trained  to  music. 
Learn  to  carry  good  English  by  ear,  very  much  as  you  carry  a 
tune.  To  study  deeply  into  the  cause  of  error  in  each  case 
will  not  always  be  of  great  benefit,  just  as  to  study  indi- 
vidual notes  in  a  piece  of  music  will  not  always  help  you  to 


HOW   TO  BE   THOROUGH  299 

appreciate  a  tune.  But  it  may  be  a  helpful  satisfaction  to 
establish  a  reason  for  the  correct  form  by  consulting  page  104 
and  also  the  brief  grammatical  review  in  the  appendix  of  this 
book. 

Pronouns 

1.  Himself.     Not  Hisself. 

2.  His.     Not  Ris'n. 

3.  Themselves.     Not  Theirselves. 

4.  Those  books  or  these  books.     Not  Them  books. 

5.  It  was  I.     Not  It  was  me. 

6.  My  sister  and  I  went.     Not  I  and  my  sister  went.     Not 
Me  and  my  sister  went. 

7.  He  stood  between  John  and  me.     Not  He  stood  between 
John  and  I. 

8.  There  are  two  books  on  my  desk.     Not  They  is  two  books 
on  my  desk. 

9.  We  girls  are  knitting.     Not  Us  girls  are  knitting. 

10.  He  is  taller  than  I.     Not  He  is  taller  than  me. 

11.  Whom  did  you  speak  to?     Not  Who  did  you  speak  to? 

12.  Who  do  you  think  I  am?     Not  Whom  do  you  think  I  am? ' 

13.  Each  of  them  should  do  his  work.      Not  Each  of  them  should 
do  their  work. 

14.  The  man  who  is  ill.     Not  The  man  which  is  ill.  • 

15.  A  heart  and  a  soul  with  love  in  them.      Not  A  heart  and  a 
soul  with  love  in  it. 

16.  I  am  afraid  of  his  falling.     Not  I  am  afraid  of  him  falling. 

Adjectives  and  Adverbs 

1.  This  kind  or  that  kind.     iVo^  These  kind.     A^o^  Those  kind. 

2.  This  sort  or  that  sort.     Not  These  sort.     Not  Those  sort. 

3.  Better.     Not  More  better. 

4.  Loveliest.     Not  Most  loveliest. 

5.  An  apple.     Not  A  apple. 

6.  This  book  or  that  man  or  those  balls.      Not  This  here  book. 
Not  That  there  man.     Not  Them  there  balls. 


300  GOOD  ENGLISH 

7.  Lose.     Not  Lose  out. 

8.  End.     Not  End  up. 

9.  Join.     Not  Join  together. 

10.  Explain.     Not  Explain  about. 

IL  Divide.     Not  Divide  up. 

12.  Start.     iVoi  Start  in.     Not  Start  out     Not  Start  oS. 

13.  Keep  off.     iVoi  Keep  ofif  of . 

14.  First.     Not  First  ofi. 

15.  This  is  the  better  of  the  two.      Not  This  is  the  best  of  the 
two. 

16.  I  want  a  glass  of  cold  water.      Not  I  want  a  cold  glass  of 
water. 

17.  The  secretary  and  the  treasixrer  were  present.      Not  The 
secretary  and  treasurer  were  present. 

18.  I  have  seen  him  twice.      Not  I  have  seen  him  already  twice 
yet. 

19.  It  is  rather  cool.     Not  It  is  kind  of  cool. 

20.  I  like  this  sort  of  book.     Not  I  like  this  sort  of  a  book. 

21.  The  music  soimds  sweet.     Not  The  music  sounds  sweetly. 

22.  She  plays  well.     Not  She  plays  good. 

23.  He  went  quickly.     Not  He  went  quick. 

24.  I  have  none  or  I  haven't  any.     Not  I  haven't  none. 

25.  He  did  it  again.     Not  He  did  it  over  again. 

Prepositions  and  Conjunctions 

1.  At  my  Uncle's.     Not  By  my  uncle's. 

2.  Back  of  or  behind.     Not  In  back  of. 

3.  To  keep.     Not  For  to  keep. 

4.  How  are  you?     iVo<  How  is  it  by  you? 

5.  He  lives  near  us.     Not  He  lives  by  us. 

6.  I  won't  go  unless  you  go.     Not  I  won't  go  without  you  go. 

7.  He  plays  as  I  do  or  He  plays  like  me.      Not  He  plays  like  I 


do. 


8.  He  would  have  gone.     Not  He  would  of  gone. 

9.  He  had  to  go.     Not  He  had  a  go. 


HOW   TO  BE    THOROUGH  301 

10.  He  is  at  school.     Not  He  is  to  school. 

11.  Get  some  books  of  her.     Not  Get  some  books  off  her. 

12.  There  is  a  noise  in  the  room.      Not  There  is  a  noise  inside  of 
the  room. 

13.  He  put  it  on  the  shelf.     Not  He  put  it  onto  the  shelf. 

14.  I  am  going  on  Monday.     Not  I  am  going  upon  Monday. 

15.  They  find  fault  with  her.     Not  They  find  fault  of  her. 

16.  He  is  different  from  me.     Not  He  is  different  than  me. 

17.  He  jimiped  into  the  water.      Not  He  jumped  in  the  water. 

18.  I  shall  try  to  go.     Not  I  shall  try  and  go. 

19.  There  was  a  dispute  among  the  three  boys.      Not  There  was 
a  dispute  between  the  three  boys. 

20.  Where  is  he ?     Not  Where  is  he  at? 

21.  She  has  been  here  twice.      Not  She  has  been  here  twice  yet. 

22.  He  took  it  from  me.     Not  He  took  it  on  me. 

Verbs 

1.  Have  not  or  has  not  or  are  not  or  is  not  or  am  not.     Never 
"  ain't  "  for  any  of  these. 

2.  He  doesn't.     Not  He  don't. 

3.  Proved.     Not  Proven. 

4.  Got.     iVo^  Gotten. 

5.  Bought.     Not  Boughten. 

6.  Taken.     A^o^  Tooken. 

7.  Sneaked.     Not  Snuck. 

8.  CUmbed.     iVo^  Clumb. 

9.  Fought.     A^o^Fit.    Not  Font. 

10.  Attacked.     Not  Attacted. 

11.  Burst.     iVo«  Busted. 

12.  Have  seen.     Not  Have  saw. 

13.  Have  gone.     Not  Have  went. 

14.  Have  come.     Not  Have  came. 

15.  Have  done.     Not  Have  did. 

16.  Have  simg.     Not  Have  sang. 

17.  To  go  quickly.     Not  To  quickly  go. 


302  GOOD  ENGLISH 

18.  I  have  broken.     Not  I  have  broke. 

19.  I  have  spoken.     Not  I  have  spoke. 

20.  He  received  an  honor.     Not  He  got  an  honor. 

21.  I  have  an  apple.     Not  I  got  an  apple. 

22.  She  became  angry.     Not  She  got  angry. 

23.  You  ought  to  go.     Not  You  had  ought  to  go. 

24.  I  saw  the  play.     Not  I  seen  the  play. 

25.  I  said  I  would  go.     Not  I  says  I  would  go. 

26.  You  shall  obey  me.     Not  You  will  obey  me. 

27.  Either  Mary  or  John  is  going.  Not  Either  Mary  or  John 
are  going. 

28.  These  things  are  true.     Not  These  things  is  true. 

29.  If  I  were  you.     Not  If  I  was  you. 

30.  That  doesn't  make  any  difference.     Not  That  don't  hurt. 

31.  Mother  is  preparing  dinner.     Not  Mother  is  making  dinner. 

32.  There  isn't  any  one  present.  Not  There  aren't  any  one 
present. 

33.  There  are  a  man  with  a  large  hat  and  a  woman  with  a  small 
bonnet  in  the  room.  Not  There  is  a  man  with  a  large  hat  and  a 
woman  with  a  small  bonnet  in  the  room. 

34.  Shall  I  take  this  to  the  office  for  you?  Not  Shall  I  bring 
this  to  the  office  for  you? 

35.  Let  me  look  into  that  drawer.  Not  Let  me  get  into  that 
drawer. 

36.  Let  me  go.     Not  Leave  me  go. 

37.  It  is  raining;  therefore  I  cannot  go.  Not  It  is  raining; 
therefore,  I  could  not  go. 

38.  May  I  go  with  you  ?     Not  Can  I  go  with  you  ? 

An  expression  that  is  overused  and  that  has  become  more 
or  less  meaningless  as  the  result  of  overuse,  is  called  a  hack- 
neyed expression.  The  dictionary  defines  hackney  as  to 
exhaust  hy  continued  use;  to  make  stale  by  repetition.  It  is 
from  a  French  word  meaning  an  ambling  horse.  Speech 
that  would  move  along  with  ease  and  vigor  should  not 
therefore  contain  words  and  phrases  that  "amble."     Have 


HOW   TO   BE   THOROUGH  303 

a  classmate  critic  inform  you  at  the  close  of  a  speech  how 
many  times  you  have  used  hackneyed  expressions,  and  you 
will  be  surprised  perhaps.  Nearly  every  one  has  some 
expression  that  he  overuses.  It  becomes  a  characteristic 
of  his  language.  He  uses  it  unconsciously.  Following  are 
a  few  of  the  commoner  hackneyed  phrases  that  sometimes 
make  speech  but  an  ambling  and  stumbling  affair.  Add 
others  to  them.  Every  locality  has  certain  ones  of  its 
own :  —  cold  as  ice,  he  that  as  it  may,  proceeded  on  our  way, 
still  at  the  same  time,  deem  it  advisable,  as  I  was  saying,  look 
here,  listen  to  me,  well  then,  as  I  was  going  to  say. 

Do  not  forget  in  the  criticism  of  speeches  that  you  owe  it 
to  the  speaker  to  commend,  to  criticize  favorably  as  well  as 
unfavorably.  If  he  makes  noticeable  effort  to  avoid  certain 
types  of  error  that  he  himself  is  inclined  to  make  or  that  are 
characteristic  of  the  school,  praise  him  for  it.  If  he  catches 
his  own  errors  and  corrects  himself,  again  commend  him. 
If  he  omits  slang,  if  he  compares  adjectives  properly,  if  he 
always  avoids  the  double  negative,  if  he  keeps  his  subjects 
and  predicates  always  in  agreement,  you  cannot  be  too 
generous  in  your  commendation  of  his  speech.  It  is  well 
to  state  such  merits  at  the  outset  of  your  criticism,  and  to 
refer  to  them  again  at  the  close.  If  you  thus  place  your 
adverse  criticism  between  favorable  comments,  you  will  be 
constructive  and  encouraging  rather  than  destructive  and 
discouraging. 

PRACTICE 

1.  Pronounce  the  following  words  correctly.     Tell  what  error  is 

likely  to  be  made  in  the  pronunciation  of  each :  — 
children  fought  hurt  nothing         such 

farther  her  just  scared  yesterday 

2.  Pronounce  each  of  the  following  pairs  of  words  distinctly.     Tell 

what  error  is  likely  to  be  made  in  their  pronunciation :  — 


304  GOOD  ENGLISH 

John's  suit.  Dreadful  lonesomeness. 

For  goodness'  sake.  Never  repeat. 

Shakespeare's  sonnets.  Failed  daily. 

Rainy  yesterdays.  Going  galloping  gaily. 

Contentment  tells.  Different  thought  today. 

3.  Make  groups  of  words  in  daily  use,  each  group  consisting  of  words 

that  are  similar  in  sound  and  appearance.  Point  out  clearly 
differences  in  sound  and  pronunciation.  Those  given  below 
illustrate  what  is  meant.  Write  each  word  on  the  board  and 
erase  it  quickly.  Find  out  how  many  of  your  classmates  saw 
accurately :  — 

class  —  glass.  repay  —  relay. 

past  —  fast.  convert  —  concert. 

truly  —  duly.  enemy  —  enmity. 

accent  —  ascent.  first  rate  —  frustrate. 

decent  —  descent.  intermediate  —  immediate. 

4.  In  the  following  sentences  pronouns  are  wrongly  used.     Re- 

write each  sentence  correctly.  As  far  as  possible  refer  to  some 
section  of  this  book  for  the  explanation  of  your  correction :  — 

(1)  They  went  theirselves. 

(2)  I  and  my  friend  went  to  church. 

(3)  He  is  going  with  brother  and  I. 

(4)  I  like  them  caps  very  much. 

(5)  It  was  her  who  did  it. 

(6)  They  are  three  boys  in  that  room. 

(7)  Us  fellows  had  a  good  time  yesterday. 

(8)  Tom  is  stronger  than  me. 

(9)  Who  did  you  go  to  the  party  with? 

(10)  Who  do  you  think  I  saw  at  the  game? 

(11)  Every  girl  in  the  class  must  do  their  own  work. 

(12)  The  girl  which  was  ill  has  returned  to  school. 

(13)  There  aren't  any  of  us  going. 

(14)  I  saw  a  hand  and  an  arm  with  a  sword  in  it. 

(15)  I  object  to  him  answering  questions  intended  for  me. 

5.  In  the  following  sentences  adjectives  and  adverbs  are  wrongly 

used.  Read  each  sentence  correctly.  As  far  as  possible  refer 
to  some  section  in  this  book  for  the  explanation  of  your  cor- 
rection :  — 


HOW   TO  BE   THOROUGH  305 

(1)  These  kind  of  apple  is  the  best. 

(2)  Of  the  two  John  is  the  strongest. 

(3)  The  United  States  is  the  most  richest  country  in  the  world. 

(4)  This  is  the  sort  of  a  place  I  mean. 

(5)  He  only  has  twenty  per  cent  in  algebra. 

(6)  There  is  a  answer  to  this  question  on  page  nine. 

(7)  He  studied  considerable. 

(8)  I  kind  of  Uke  Jane. 

(9)  Jim  is  generouser  than  John. 

(10)  I  think  he  speaks  good. 

(11)  The  train  moves  very  rapid. 

(12)  He  hasn't  got  none. 

(13)  These  here  pencils  are  dull. 

(14)  'Keep  off  of  the  grass. 

(15)  They  started  in  to  do  their  work. 

(16)  Let's  divide  the  apple  up. 

(17)  We  joined  hands  together  and  danced. 

(18)  We're  going  to  end  up  now. 

(19)  You  are  the  only  fellow  who  lost  out. 

(20)  I  have  done  it  three  times  already. 

(21)  We  told  him  over  again. 

6.  In  the  following  sentences  prepositions  and  conjunctions  are 
wrongly  used.  Read  each  sentence  correctly.  As  far  as  pos- 
sible refer  to  some  section  in  this  book  for  the  explanation  of 
your  correction :  — 

(1)  Tom  lives  by  his  aunt's. 

(2)  How  is  everything  by  you  today  ? 

(3)  Mary  refuses  to  answer  without  we  listen. 

(4)  Sam  talks  like  Jim  does. 

(5)  I  placed  my  shoes  in  back  of  the  chair. 

(6)  I  would  of  gone  if  I  had  known. 

(7)  He  has  went  because  he  had  a. 

(8)  John  is  to  home. 

(9)  I  went  to  get  a  pencil  off  him. 

(10)  Please  let  me  get  into  that  bag  a  moment. 

(11)  There  was  a  sound  of  merry-making  inside  of  the  tent. 

(12)  I  failed  in  English  upon  Thursday. 

(13)  I  do  not  find  fault  of  your  work. 

(14)  The  United  States  is  different  than  other  countries. 

X 


306  GOOD  ENGLISH 

(15)  He  went  in  the  room  to  get  his  coat. 

(16)  He  is  going  to  try  and  win. 

(17)  Between  this,  that,  and  the  other,  I  have  no  peace. 

(18)  Father  gave  me  his  knife  for  to  keep. 

(19)  Where  in  the  world  is  Mary  at? 

(20)  They  have  been  here  three  times  yet. 

(21)  She  took  my  paper  on  me, 

(22)  Neither  Tom  or  AUce  has  the  lesson. 

7.  In  the  following  sentences  verbs  are  wrongly  used.  Read  each 
sentence  correctly.  As  far  as  possible  refer  to  some  section  in 
this  book  for  the  explanation  of  your  correction :  — 

(1)  He  don't  go  until  tomorrow. 

(2)  The  problem  has  been  proven. 

(3)  I  have  gotten  my  books.  — 

(4)  I  come  over  yesterday. 

(5)  You  shouldn't  have  boughten  that  candy. 

(6)  I  have  broke  my  pencil. 

(7)  He  has  spoke  to  me  three  times. 

(8)  I  dumb  the  ladder,  snuck  over  the  roof,  and  fit  like  a  Trojan. 

(9)  The  bag  has  busted. 

(10)  I  got  ninety  for  that  recitation. 

(11)  I  haven't  got  your  hat. 

(12)  It  has  got  to  be  done. 

(13)  I  have  never  saw  such  a  boy. 

(14)  He  has  got  to  be  a  big  boy. 

(15)  They  have  went  to  Camden. 

(16)  The  books  have  came  at  last. 

(17)  You  hadn't  ought  to  do  that. 

(18)  He  seen  you  throw  the  paper. 

(19)  So  I  says  to  him  that  he  had  better  go  quickly. 

(20)  He  urged  me  to  hastily  return. 

(21)  Shall  you  help  me  carry  this  bundle? 

(22)  Neither  Bill  nor  Harry  are  present. 

(23)  His  words,  spoken  at  our  commencement,  is  true. 

(24)  If  he  was  you,  he  would  not  pass. 

(25)  I  shall  have  to  do  the  lesson  over,  but  that  doesn't  hurt, 

I  suppose. 

(26)  Mary  is  busy  making  supper  for  company. 

(27)  Everybody  present  were  delighted. 


HOW   TO   BE   THOROUGH  307 

(28)  There  is  an  apple  with  a  luscious  red  appearance  and  a  dish 

of  peaches  in  the  pantry. 

(29)  Will  I  bring  this  letter  to  the  post-office  for  you? 

(30)  He  answered  when  she  calls  upon  him. 

(31)  Can  we  go  to  the  party  tonight,  mother? 

8.    Examine  the  following  paragraph.     Read  it  aloud  as  it  stands. 

Then  read  it  omitting  all  the  hackneyed  expressions  contained 

in  it.     Tell  what  is  gained  in  the  second  reading :  — 

They  did  not  deem  it  advisable  to  take  their  coats  with  them. 

But  before  they  arrived  at  their  destination,  it  began  to  rain. 

"Just  our  luck!"    said  Emma.     However,  be  that  as  it  may,  they 

were  able  to  borrow  an  umbrella,  and  proceeded  on  their  way.    They 

finally  reached  the  house  where  the  party  was  held,  and  an  enjoyable 

time  was  had  by  all,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  they  were  mussed 

up  by  the  shower.     Still,  at  the  same  time,  they  could  have  had  a 

pleasanter  afternoon  had  it  not  rained.     As  Emma  often  says, 

"Though  I'm  wet  as  a  duck  I  can  nevertheless  make  the  best  of 

things  and  have  a  good  time." 

LESSON   FORTY  FIVE 

Testing  Your  Words 

Your  choice  of  words  must  be  as  careful  as  your  pro- 
nunciation. What  has  been  said  previously  about  word 
study  (see  pages  108,  215,  281)  should  be  used  as  a  basis 
for  the  criticism.  Are  your  words  exact  and  appropriate, 
or  have  you  said  a  nice  lesson  and  a  pretty  house?  Do  you 
say  allow  when  you  mean  declare,  observation  when  you 
mean  observance,  differ  with  when  you  mean  differ  from? 
Does  your  writing  show  that  you  have  observed  the  rules 
of  word-building  (see  page  283),  or  have  you  written  pre- 
haps  for  perhaps,  entermission  for  intermission?  Are  your 
words  specific,  or  have  you  used  noise  when  you  meant 
rustle,  red  when  you  meant  maroon  ?  Are  all  your  changes 
in  thought  indicated  by  and  and  but,  or  have  you  stated 


308  GOOD   ENGLISH 

your  thought  transitions  nicely  by  means  of  such  words  as 
likewise,  moreover,  nevertheless,  furthermore?  Is  there  evi- 
dence in  your  composition,  both  oral  and  written,  that  you 
have  a  usable  knowledge  of  synonyms,  so  that  you  are  able 
to  convey  deUcate  shadings  in  meaning  and  to  avoid  monoto- 
nous repetitions? 

These  are  a  few  of  the  points  upon  which  criticism  of 
words  may  be  based.  Here  again  the  work  of  criticism 
may  be  divided,  so  that  one  member  of  a  class  may  specialize 
in  the  criticism  of  new  words,  another  in  good  words  used 
in  the  wrong  places,  another  in  homonyms,  another  in 
hackneyed  words,  and  so  on.  Whatever  errors  are  pointed 
out  in  the  use  of  words  you  should  note  well  in  a  book  kept 
for  the  purpose.  Be  on  your  guard  not  to  misuse  the  same 
word  twice.  Your  own  special  vocabulary  book  will  help 
you  to  avoid  this.  If  you  study  a  foreign  language,  you 
probably  keep  Usts  of  words  that  trouble  you.  Why  not 
also  in  the  study  of  your  own  language  ? 

Below  is  a  list  of  fifty  word  groups  that  are  commonly  confused 
or  misused  in  English  speech  and  writing.  You  are  certain  to  use 
some  of  these  words  in  your  own  speech  or  writing.  Be  sure  to  use 
them  correctly.  Be  unwilling  that  your  classmates  should  use 
them  incorrectly.  Of  course  no  such  list  can  be  exhaustive,  for 
every  locality  has  its  own  special  misusages.  Add  to  the  list  such 
words  as  are  commonly  confused  in  your  own  community.  (The 
following  definitions  are  in  general  taken  from  the  Standard 
Dictionary) :  — 

1 

Admittance,  Admission.  —  Admittance  refers  to  place.  AdmiS" 
sion  refers  also  to  place  but  more  frequently  to  privilege,  favor, 
position,  rate,  etc.  "  Admission,  —  fifty  cents.  No  admittance 
without  tickets."  "  You  may  gain  admittance  to  the  entertainment 
of  our  club  without  admission  to  membership." 


HOW    TO   BE    THOROUGH  309 


Angry,  Mad.  —  Angry  means  sharp  and  sudden  displeasure  or 
indignation;  temporarily  disordered  in  feeling.  Mad  means  dis- 
ordered in  mind.  "  You  are  angry  because  he  copied  from  your 
paper."  "  He  became  mad  at  the  loss  of  his  fortune."  Not,  — 
"  I  am  mad  at  you  for  going  without  me." 


Around,  About.  —  Around  means  to  encircle  on  all  sides.  About, 
as  an  adverb,  means  around.  As  a  preposition  about  means 
approximate  or  in  the  neighborhood  of.  "  What  are  you  about?  " 
"  I  have  about  twenty  dollars."  "  He  walked  around  the  block." 
Not,  —  "I  have  around  twenty  dollars." 


Beside,  Besides.  —  Beside  means  by  the  side  of,  close  to.  Besides 
means  in  addition  to.  "  He  sat  beside  me."  "  He  has  my  hat  and 
his  own  besides."  Not,  —  ''  Beside,  I  think  him  a  very  earnest 
feUow." 

5 

Between,  Among.  —  Between  refers  to  two  objects.  Among 
refers  to  more  than  two.  "  Divide  the  money  between  the  two, 
among  the  three."     "  Between  us  two,  among  us  three." 

6 

By,  Near,  At.  —  By  means  alongside,  next  to.  Near  means  not 
distant,  close  at  hand.  At  jneans  at  the  place  of.  "  He  is  sitting 
by  me."  "  He  lives  near  me."  "  He  is  at  his  aunt's."  Not,  — 
"  He  is  by  his  aunt's."  "  How  is  it  by  you ?  "  (Look  up  also  m, 
into,  upon,  and  on  and  explain  their  use  in  relation  to  by,  near, 
and  at.) 

7 

Calculate,  Reckon.  —  Calculate  means  to  compute,  to  estimate, 
by  more  or  less  complicated  processes.  Reckon  means  to  look  upon 
or  consider  in  a  more  general  sense  than  calculation.     "  He  calcu- 


310  GOOD   ENGLISH 

lated  his  time  to  a  fraction  of  a  second."  "  I  reckon  him  wise." 
Not,  —  "I  calculate  it's  going  to  rain.'*  "  I  reckon  I'll  go." 
(Look  up  also  guess,  think,  believe,  intend,  suppose.) 

8 

Can,  May.  —  Can  denotes  capability.  May  denotes  possibility, 
desire,  permission.  "May  I  go?  "  "I  can  do  this  problem." 
Not,  —  "  Can  I  go?  "     "  You  can."     (See  page  367.) 

9 

Character,  Reputation.  —  Character  is  what  one  is.  Repviation 
is  what  one  is  thought  to  be.  "In  spite  of  his  excellent  character 
his  reputation  is  bad." 

10 

Compare,  Contrast.  —  Compare  means  to  place  together  in  order 
to  point  out  likeness  and  unlikeness.  Contrast  means  to  set  in 
opposition  in  order  to  point  out  unlikeness.  "  She  compared  her 
results  with  mine."    "  We  contrasted  Rebecca  and  Rowena." 

11 

Contemptible,  Contemptuous.  —  Contemptible  means  to  deserve 
disdain  or  disregard.  Contemptuous  means  to  show  disdain  or 
disregard.  "  His  behavior  was  contemptible."  "  He  was  con- 
temptuous in  his  attitude  toward  her." 

12 

Coimsel,  Council,  Consul.  —  Counsel  is  advice  or  opinion.  It 
refers  also  to  a  lawj'-er  or  other  person  who  gives  advice.  Council 
is  a  meeting.  Consul  is  an  officer  appointed  to  reside  in  a  foreign 
port  or  city.  "  The  consul  gave  wise  counsel  at  the  council  of 
merchants." 

13 

•Distance,  Way.  —  Distance  means  separation  in  space,  remoteness. 
Way  means  path  or  road,  a  short  distance.     "  They  traveled  some 


HOW   TO  BE   THOROUGH  31 K    Z 

distance."    "  He  walked  a  little  way  with  me."    Not,  —  "  They 
went  a  little  ways  with  her." 

14 

Effect,  Affect.  —  Effect  (as  verb)  means  to  bring  about,  to 
accompHsh.  Affect  means  to  move,  to  influence,  to  make  an  effect. 
As  a  noun,  effect  means  result.  Affect  is  a  verb  only.  Affect,  meaning 
to  pretend,  is  another  word.  "  He  effected  the  desired  end." 
"  He  had  a  strange  effect  on  me."  "  The  heart  was  not  affected." 
Not,  —  "  How  did  it  effect  you?  " 

15 

Esteem,  Estimate.  —  Esteem  means  to  value  or  to  regard. 
Estimate  means  to  calculate  in  more  definite  terms.  "  We  esteem 
a  precious  jewel,  but  we  estimate  it  to  be  worth  so  much  money." 

16 

Except,  Accept.  —  Except  means  to  leave  out,  with  the  exception 
of,  but.  Accept  means  to  take  or  receive.  "  Every  one  accepted 
the  offer."     "  Everybody  went  except  me." 

17 

Few,  Less.  —  Few  refers  to  number.  Less  refers  to  quantity  or 
quaUty.  "  There  are  few  books  in  the  closet."  "  There  is  less 
water  in  this  bucket  than  in  that."  "  He  is  less  worthy  than  you." 
Not,  —  "I  have  less  apples  and  fewer  bread  than  you." 

18 

Funny,  Curious.  —  Funny  means  comical,  humorous,  laughable. 
Curious  means  strange,  odd,  queer.  "  His  mannerisms  were  funny." 
"  What  a  curious  person  George  is !  "  (Look  up  also  odd,  queer, 
singular,  peculiar,  eccentric,  ridiculous,  droll.) 

19 

Habit,  Custom.  —  Habit  means  tendency  to  act  in  a  certain  way, 
as  the  result  of  repetition,  until  such  action  becomes  spontaneous 


312  GOOD  ENGLISH 

and  unconscious.  Habit  is  the  action  of  one.  CiLstom  means 
deliberately  doing  the  same  thing  repeatedly  under  the  same  condi- 
tions. Custom  is  the  action  of  many.  "  He  has  the  habit  of 
eating  with  his  knife."  "It  is  the  custom  to  open  the  shops  at 
nine  o'clock  a.m." 

20 

Hupian,  Humane.  —  Human  relates  to  mankind,  with  no  sugges- 
tion as  to  good  or  evil.  Humane  relates  to  what  may  properly  be 
expected  of  mankind  by  way  of  consideration  for  others.  "  Though 
he  is  a  human  being,  his  treatment  of  that  horse  is  not  humane." 

21 

Illusion,  Allusion.  —  Illusion  means  a  false  or  unreal  image, 
something  that  deceives.  Allusion  means  a  reference  to  or  sugges- 
tion of.  "I  have  no  illusions  about  my  standing  in  mathematics." 
"  He  made  appropriate  allusions  to  Shakespeare." 

22 

Immigrant,  Emigrant.  —  Immigrant  is  one  who  comes  into  a 
country.  Emigrant  is  one  who  goes  out  of  a  country.  "  Annual 
reports  show  that  America  has  many  more  immigrants  than 
emigrants." 

23 

Invent,  Discover.  —  Invent  means  to  originate  something  never 
before  existing.  Discover  means  to  find  out  something  that  has 
previously  existed  but  has  never  before  been  known.  "  Morse 
invented  the  electric  telegraph."  "Peary  discovered  the  North 
Pole." 

24 

Lay,  Lie,  Lie.  —  Lay  means  to  place  or  put.  Lie  means  to  re- 
cline or  to  rest.  Lie  means  also  to  tell  a  falsehood.  "  I  laid  the 
hat  on  the  table."  "  I  lay  on  the  couch  three  hours."  "  He  lied  to 
me."    (See  principal  parts  of  these  three  verbs  on  page  372.) 


HOW   TO  BE   THOROUGH  313 

25 

Learn,  Teach.  —  Learn  means  to  acquire  knowledge  or  skill. 
Teach  means  to  impart  knowledge  or  skill.  "  He  learns  very  easily 
because  they  teach  him  well."  Not,  —  ''He  learned  me  how  to 
swim."     (Look  up  also  study,  train,  educate,  instruct,  inform.) 

26 
Leave,  Let.  —  Leave  means  to  go  away  from.     Let  means  to 
permit.      "  Leave  me    immediately."      "  Let  me    go."     Not,  — 
"  Leave  me  have  it." 

27 

Lend,  Loan,  Borrow.  —  Lend  means  to  grant  the  temporary 
use  of.  It  is  not  a  noun.  Loan  is  also  used  in  the  sense  of  lend. 
Its  better  use,  however,  is  as  a  noun  in  reference  to  the  amount  or 
the  thing  granted  for  temporary  use.  Borrow  means  to  obtain  on 
promise  of  return.  ''  Please  lend  me  your  pencil?  "  ''He  secured  a 
loan  from  the  bank."  "  May  I  borrow  your  book?  "  Not,  — 
"  He  loaned  me  ten  cents."     "  Give  me  the  lend  of  your  pencil." 

28 

Like,  As.  —  Like  means  similar  to.  It  usually  is  a  preposition 
but  it  may  also  be  an  adjective,  a  verb,  or  a  noun.  It  is  never  a 
conjunction.  As  is  usually  a  conjunction  or  an  adverb.  (See 
page  300.)  "  He  dances  like  me."  "  He  dances  as  I  do."  Not,  — 
"  He  dances  like  I  do."     "  He  dances  as  me." 

29 

Likely,  Liable.  —  Likely  means  probable  and  usually  refers  to 
an  event  as  favorable.  Liable  means  responsible  and  usually  refers 
to  an  event  as  unfavorable.  "He  is  likely  to  pass."  "He  is 
liable  for  damages."    Not,  —  "  He  is  liable  to  succeed." 

30 
Loose,  Lose.  —  Loose  means  to  free  from  anything  that  binds  or 
restrains ;  not  fastened.     Lose  means  to  fail  to  keep  through  acci- 


314  GOOD  ENGLISH 

dent,  to  miss,  or  be  deprived  of.     "  The  dog  is  loose."    "  They 
will  lose  the  game."    Not,  —  "I  may  loose  my  hat." 

31 

Many,  Much.  —  Many  means  a  large  number,  numerous,  various. 
Much  means  a  large  quantity.  "  I  have  many  tickets."  "  I  have 
much  paper." 

32 

Most,  Almost.  —  Most  means  the  greatest  number,  size,  rank, 
or  age.  Almost  means  nearly,  approximately.  "  We  had  the 
most  to  do."  "  We  are  almost  done."  Not,  —  "  We  are  most 
done." 

33 

Neither,  None.  —  Neither  (not  either)  refers  to  two ;  but  is 
always  singular  itself.  None  (no  one)  refers  to  more  than  two ;  it 
is  usually  singular,  though  many  writers  use  it  as  plural.  "  Neither 
he  nor  his  brother  was  here."  ''None  of  the  men  is  going."  Not, 
—  "  Neither  of  the  three  was  there."     "  None  of  the  two  was 

there." 

34 

Number,  Quantity,  Amount.  —  Number  refers  to  a  collection 
of  units.  Quantity  refers  to  a  certain  estimated  mass.  Amount 
refers  to  total  or  aggregate.  "  There  is  a  large  number  of  apples 
in  a  bushel."  "  There  is  a  large  quantity  of  wheat  in  the  granary." 
"  What  amount  of  corn  did  you  raise  this  year?  " 

35 

Its,  It's.  —  Its  is  a  possessive  pronoun,  neuter  gender.  It's  is 
the  contraction  for  it  is.  "  The  statue  fell  from  its  pedestal." 
"  It's  not  so  hard  as  you  think."  Not,  —  "  It's  front  was  scarred  by 
lightning." 

36 

Part,  Portion.  —  Part  means  a  certain  amount  or  number  of 
anything.  Portion  means  an  allotment  or  a  share.  "  The  father 
divided  the  land  into  parts  and  gave  the  eldest  son  his  portion." 


HOW   TO  BE   THOROUGH  ^  315 

37 

Party,  Person.  —  Party  means  a  number  of  persons.  It  may  be 
used  to  refer  to  one  person  only  in  the  terms  of  a  contract,  — 
"  Party  of  the  first  part."  Person  means  one  individual.  ''  How 
many  are  there  in  our  party?  "  ''I  like  that  jolly  old  person  in 
the  corner."     Not,  —  "I  like  that  jolly  old  party  in  the  corner." 

38 

Raise,  Rise.  —  Raise  means  to  cause  to  move  upward.  Raise  is 
always  transitive,  and  is  never  a  noun.  Rise  means  to  move 
upward,  to  gain,  to  lift.  "  He  raised  his  hand."  "  He  raised 
his  book."  "  He  raised  the  child  to  a  seat."  "  He  rose  to 
a  sitting  position."  "  Fog  rises."  "  Tide  rises."  Not,  —  "  He 
got  a  raise."  "  He  was  so  weak  that  he  could  not  raise."  "  The 
sun  raises." 

39 

Real,  Very.  —  Real  means  genuine,  pure,  authentic.  Very 
means  degree  or  measure  of  genuineness.  ''  This  is  a  real  diamond 
and  it  is  very  expensive."  Not,  —  "  The  diamond  is  real  expen- 
sive." 

40 

Regard,  Respect.  —  Regard  refers  to  special  kindliness  or  esteem 
toward  equals,  without  consideration  as  to  rank  or  position.  Re- 
spect refers  to  esteem  felt  toward  one  of  lofty  station.  Regard  is 
more  likely  to  be  mutual.  "  I  do  not  regard  him  highly  as  a  man, 
but  I  respect  him  as  governor."  "  They  had  a  high  regard  for 
one  another." 

41 

Relative,  Relation.  —  Relative  is  one  related  to  another  by  blood. 
Relation  is  also  one  related  to  another  by  blood,  but  its  nicer  use 
indicates  a  more  remote  connection.  "  Jim  is  a  relative  of  mine." 
"  The  teacher's  relation  with  her  pupils  is  very  pleasant."  Not,  — 
"  Relations  and  friends  are  requested  to  return  to  the  house." 


316  GOOD  ENGLISH 

42 

Remainder,  Balance.  —  Remainder  means  that  which  remains 
after  a  part  has  been  taken  away.  Balance  means  an  equaUty 
between  credit  and  debit  in  an  account.  "  Since  I  have  a  balance 
of  fifty  dollars  to  my  credit  in  the  bank  I  shall  stay  for  the  remainder 
of  the  week."  Not,  —  "  He  is  going  to  play  quarterback  for  the 
balance  of  the  season." 

43 

Remember,  Recollect.  —  Remember  means  to  retain  in  the 
memory.  Recollect  means  to  recall  from  the  memory.  "  He 
remembered  the  event  and  recollected  the  names  of  all  the  people 
present." 

44 

Remit,  Send.  —  Remit  means  to  send  in  return  for  something 
sent.  Send  means  to  cause  or  direct  to  go  or  pass.  "  Please  send 
me  the  following  articles.  I  shall  remit  amount  due  immediately 
upon  notification  of  total  charges."  Not,  — "  Remit  me  the 
following  articles."     (See  also  transmit,  discharge,  dispatch,  emit.) 

45 

Repair,  Fix.  —  Repair  means  to  restore  to  a  former  state,  or  to 
mend.  Fix  means  to  make  secure,  to  fasten  or  attach.  "  He  will 
repair  the  broken  desk."  "  He  will  fix  the  desk  in  position." 
Not,  —  "  Mother  will  fix  my  torn  sleeve." 

46 

Sit,  Set.  —  Sit  means  to  seat,  to  rest  as  in  a  chair,  to  take  or 
occupy  a  seat.  Set  means  to  place  in  position,  to  cause  to  sit. 
"  He  sits  erect."  "  They're  sitting  together."  '^  I  sat  there  for 
two  hours."  "  Set  the  jar  on  the  table."  "  The  dress  sets  well." 
"  The  sun  sets."  "  The  sun  is  setting."  Not,  —  "I  have  been 
setting  on  the  couch."  "  It  sits  well  around  the  neck."  (See 
principal  parts  of  these  verbs  on  page  372.) 


HOW   TO  BE    THOROUGH  317 

47 

Stop,  Stay.  —  Stop  means  to  bring  from  motion  to  rest,  to  check, 
to  prevent  exit  or  entrance.  Stay  means  to  stop,  but  more  com- 
monly to  remain.  "  He  stopped  at  the  inn  and  stayed  there 
three  days."    Not,  —  "  She  has  been  stopping  here  a  week." 

48 

Suspect,  Suspicion.  —  Suspect  means  to  imagine,  usually  un- 
favorably; to  mistrust.  Suspect  is  a  verb.  Suspicion  means 
doubt,  mistrust,  conjecture.  Suspicion  is  a  noun.  ''  I  suspect 
him."  "  I  have  a  suspicion."  Not,  —  ''I  suspicion  him."  (See 
also  expect.) 

49 

When,  While.  —  When  refers  usually  to  time  as  definite  and 
completed.  While  refers  to  time  as  in  progress,  during.  "  When 
I  said  that,  he  turned  and  left  the  room."  "  While  we  were  talking, 
John  entered."     Not,  —  "  When  we  were  talking,  John  entered." 

50 

Without,  Unless.  —  Without  as  a  preposition  means  lacking ; 
as  an  adverb,  on  the  outside  of.  Unless  is  a  conjunction,  meaning 
supposing  that,  except,  save.  Do  not  make  the  mistake  of  using 
the  preposition  without  for  the  conjunction  unless.  "  I  shall  not 
go  unless  you  accompany  me."  "I  shall  not  go  without  you." 
Not,  —  "I  shall  not  go  without  you  accompany  me." 

PRACTICE 

The  italicized  words  in  the  following  sentences  are  improperly 
used.  Discuss  each  word ;  tell  why  it  is  not  properly  used ;  replace 
it  with  the  correct  word ;  use  it  correctly  in  a  sentence  of  your  own 
composing :  — 

1.  They  charged  twenty-five  cents  admittance  to  the  game. 

2.  She  is  mad  because  I  received  a  higher  mark  than  she. 

3.  My  mark  was  around  ninety. 


318  GOOD   ENGLISH 

4.  She  sets  besides  me  every  day. 

5.  I  have  three  books  and  two  pads  beside. 

6.  Between  the  members  of  this  class  I  think  there  ought  to  be  an 

agreement. 

7.  "Hello,  John,  how  is  it  by  you?"  called  Fred. 

8.  He  is  stopping  by  his  sister's. 

9.  I  calculate  we  shall  lose  that  game. 

10.  I  guess  I  shaU  go. 

11.  I  suppose  that  kind  of  play  will  win. 

12.  Every  boy  can  play  or  not,  as  he  chooses. 

13.  How  may  a  fellow  pass  if  he  never  has  a  chance  to  recite  ? 

14.  A  good  reputation  should  give  a  man  a  good  character. 

15.  We  found  seven  points  of  difference  in  comparing  them. 

16.  Our  contrast  revealed  several  points  of  difference  and  several 

likenesses  between  them. 

17.  A  new  counsel  to  Madras  has  just  been  appointed. 

18.  We  held  our  consul  at  8.15. 

19.  He  gave  me  wise  council. 

20.  He  was  proud  and  contemptible. 

21.  They  walked  a  long  ways  together. 

22.  What  affect  did  the  medicine  have  upon  you? 

23.  His  character  in  the  community  is  excellent. 

24.  We  all  excepted  our  marks  in  silence,  John  accepted, 

25.  There  are  less  pupils  absent  today  than  yesterday. 

26.  You  should  form  the  custom  of  getting  up  promptly. 

27.  His  treatment  of  his  dog  is  not  human. 

28.  His  illusion  was  to  Lowell's  poem  The  Vision  of  Sir  Launfal. 

29.  Marconi  discovered  wireless  telegraphy. 

30.  He  immigrated  from  Austria  to  America. 

31.  Lay  down,  Fido,  and  go  to  sleep. 

32.  I  laid  down  for  an  hour. 


HOW   TO   BE    THOROUGH  319 

33.  He  learned  me  three  times  as  much  as  any  other  teacher  1  ever 

had. 

34.  Please  leave  me  go  to  the  circus. 

35.  Can  I  have  a  lend  of  ten  dollars? 

36.  He  will  loan  you  fifty  cents. 

37.  He  did  his  work  as  me. 

38.  They  walk  like  we  do. 

39.  I  think  it  is  liable  to  rain  today. 

40.  You  will  loose  your  purse  if  you  are  not  careful. 

41.  We  are  most  there  now. 

42.  Either  of  the  five  boys  can  go. 

43.  None  of  the  two  sisters  is  coming. 

44.  What  amount  of  marbles  have  you  in  your  hand?     • 

45.  Cut  the  cake  into  portions  and  take  your  part. 

46.  He  is  a  congenial  party  to  have  around. 

47.  The  sun  raised  at  six  o'clock  this  morning. 

48.  The  child  raised  quickly  and  hurried  home. 

49.  We  had  a  real  good  time  at  the  party. 

50.  He  does  not  regard  the  truth. 

51.  The  relations  set  and  wept  aloud. 

52.  The  balance  of  the  season  is  liable  to  be  rainy. 

53.  I  recollect  the  affair  fully  but  I  can't  remember  the  name  of  the 

person  who  presided. 

54.  They  remitted  the  goods  and  I  sent  the  money  by  return  mail. 

55.  Please  fix  my  shoes  as  soon  as  possible. 

56.  Set  on  the  floor,  if  you  are  not  comfortable  there. 

57.  She  stopped  there  three  months  last  season. 

58.  I  always  suspicioned  him  of  being  dishonest. 

59.  When  we  were  playing  it  began  to  rain  real  hard. 

60.  I'm  not  going  without  you  do. 


320  GOOD  ENGLISH 

LESSON   FORTY  SIX 

Testing  Your  Sentences 

Criticism  of  sentences  in  your  own  composition  work  and 
in  that  of  your  classmates  is  likewise  essential.  Sentences 
should  be  tested  for  unity,  for  coherence,  for  emphasis, 
according  to  the  rules  laid  down  on  pages  145,  155,  and  238. 

In  addition,  you  should  keep  constant  watch  upon  sen- 
tences to  see  whether  they  are  concise  and  accurate.  There 
is  more  than  one  way  of  expressing  every  thought.  One 
form  may  do  quite  as  well  as  another  for  the  expression 
of  certain  ideas.  It  does  not  matter  very  much  whether 
you  say,  —  That  house  is  beautiful  or  There  is  a  beautiful 
house.  The  thought  is  so  simple  and  direct  that  one  form  of 
sentence  is  as  good  as  another.  But  if  you  wish  to  be  fluent 
and  skillful  in  expression,  you  must  drill  yourself  in  the 
many  different  forms  of  clause  and  phrase  combination. 
Know  how  to  say  the  same  thing  in  a  variety  of  ways. 

Once  there  was  a  poet  who  expressed  a  great  thought  in 
these  words,  —  A  beautiful  thing  is  an  eternal  joy.  He  liked 
the  thought.  It  gave  him  a  thrill  when  he  pondered  it. 
But  the  expression  appeared  to  him  flat  and  colorless.  It 
did  not  thrill  him.  So  he  studied  the  sentence,  to  see  how 
he  could  make  it  match  the  thought  in  greatness.  And 
then  he  evolved,  A  thing  of  beauty  is  a  joy  forever.  With 
this  he  felt  satisfied.  It  has  a  pleasant  rhythm,  which  the 
other  form  lacks.  The  central  idea  is  expressed  by  the 
noun  beauty  instead  of  the  adjective  beautiful.  The  Anglo- 
Saxon  word  forever  is  more  pictorial  than  the  Latin  word 
eternal;  it  seems  to  signify  a  longer  period,  and  it  comes 
last  and  thus  falls  in  the  emphatic  place  in  the  sentence. 
Everybody  could  understand  the  thought  as  first  expressed. 


HOW   TO  BE   THOROUGH  ^  321 

Everybody  can  both  understand  snidfeel  it  as  now  expressed. 
It  is  now  great  poetry.  Formerly,  it  was  merely  a  line  of 
prose. 

Following  are  a  few  of  the  ways  by  which  sentence  expres- 
sion may  be  changed.  Study  them  carefully,  deciding  where 
the  sentence  has  been  improved  by  alteration.  In  general, 
the  most  concise  form  is  the  best,  provided  it  is  clear  and 
complete :  — 

1.  You  may  reduce  phrases  to  words,  — 

(1)  She  was  a  girl  of  great  talent. 

(2)  She  was  a  ver\^  talented  girl. 

2.  You  may  reduce  clauses  to  words  or  phrases,  — 
(1)  There  is  a  girl  who  is  very  talented. 

(1)  There  is  a  girl  of  great  talent. 

(2)  There  is  a  very  talented  girl. 

3.  You  may  reduce  clauses  to  participial,  prepositional, 

or  infinitive  phrases,  — 

(1)  When  he  had  finished  his  work,  he  decided  that  he 

would  read  a  story. 

(2)  Finishing  his  work,  he  decided  to  read  a  story. 

(1)  While  the  game  was  in  progress,  it  began  to  rain. 

(2)  During  the  progress  of  the  game,  it  began  to  rain. 

(1)  The  best  way  by  which  one  can  make  money  is  to 

save  it. 

(2)  The  best  way  to  make  money  is  to  save. 

4.  You  may  convert  prepositional  phrases  into  participial 

or  infinitive  phrases,  — 

(1)  On  his  arrival  home,  John  was  taken  ill. 

(2)  Arriving  home,  John  was  taken  ill. 

(1)  Tom  borrowed  a  horse  for  riding. 

(2)  Tom  borrowed  a  horse  to  ride. 


322  GOOD  ENGLISH 

5.  You  may  expand  words  into  phrases  or  clauses,  — 
(1)  The  ambitious  boy  succeeds. 

(1)  A  boy  with  ambition  succeeds. 

(2)  The  boy  who  is  ambitious  succeeds. 

6.  You  may  expand  prepositional,  infinitive,  and  parti- 

cipial phrases  into  clauses,  — 

(1)  He  hoped  to  be  able  to  go. 

(2)  He  hoped  that  he  would  be  able  to  go. 

(1)  On  reaching  the  station,  she  was  exhausted. 

(2)  When  she  reached  the  station,  she  was  exhausted. 

(1)  He  is  serious  at  work. 

(2)  He  is  serious  when  he  works. 

7.  You  may  reduce  many  sentences  to  one,  — 

(1)  John  went.     Mary  went.     I  went. 

(2)  John,  Mary,  and  I  went. 

8.  You  may  use  direct  for  indirect  discourse,  or  vice 

versa,  see  page  349,  — 

(1)  He  asked  me  where  I  was  going. 

(2)  He  asked,  ''Where  are  you  going?" 

9.  You  may  omit  words,  phrases,  or  clauses  in  order  to 

avoid  monotonous  repetition,  — 
(1)  It  resulted  in  a  disastrous  result. 

(1)  It  resulted  disastrously. 

(2)  The  result  was  disastrous. 

10     You  may  convert  independent  clauses  into  words  or 
phrases  or  dependent  clauses,  in  order  to  establish 
proper  relationships  among  ideas,  — 
(1)  I  entered  the  room,  and  I  saw  mother. 

(1)  Entering  the  room,  I  saw  mother. 

(2)  On  entering  the  room,  I  saw  mother. 

(3)  When  I  entered  the  room,  I  saw  mother. 


HOW   TO  BE   THOROUGH  323 


PRACTICE 

In  the  following  exercises  you  are  asked  to  change  the  form  of 
sentences  in  accordance  with  the  ten  foregoing  illustrations.  The 
number  of  the  exercise  corresponds  to  the  number  of  the  illustration. 
Tell  what  is  lost  or  gained  in  the  sentence  as  an  expression  of  thought 
by  the  change  you  make. 

1.  Reduce  a  phrase  in  each  of  the  following  sentences  to  a  single 

word :  —    - 

(1)  He  behaved  with  politeness. 

(2)  She  was  a  girl  of  faithfulness. 

(3)  He  told  me  to  go  at  once. 

(4)  He  passed  the  lodge  in  safety. 

(5)  In  the  meantime  John  acted  with  discretion. 

(6)  The  fight  of  Sohrab  with  Rustum  was  tragic. 

(7)  As  a  result  she  failed  in  English, 

(8)  The  love  of  Ivanhoe  for  Rebecca  was  one  of  constancy. 

(9)  He  had  the  courage  of  a  lion  and  the  lightness  of  spirit 

of  a  bird. 
(10)  He  left  the  room  in  a  quiet  manner  and  behaved  with  con- 
sideration in  every  way. 

2.  Reduce  a  clause  in  each  of  the  following  sentences  to  a  word 

or  a  phrase  :  — 

(1)  The  boy  who  works  hard  is  certain  to  get  on  well. 

(2)  When  the  sun  rose,  the  sky  was  covered  with  clouds. 

(3)  The  girl  who  knows  how  to  sew  is  independent  when  mis- 

fortune comes. 

(4)  Dogs  that  are  raised  in  the  country  are  more  intelligent 

than  those  that  are  kept  in  the  city. 

(5)  The  games  that  we  played  were  well  supervised  by  those 

who  instruct  us. 

(6)  I  do  not  know  where  his  home  is. 

(7)  There  is  a  young  man  who  has  a  future. 

(8)  The  man  who  commits  crime  may  be  as  good  a  man  at 

heart  as  the  man  who  is  innocent  of  crime. 

(9)  He  made  up  his  mind  after  he  had  studied  the  question 

for  a  long  time,  that  it  could  not  possibly  be  solved. 
(10)  Lowell  was  admired  not  only  by  those  who  belonged  to 
the  literary  circle  in  which  he  moved,  but  also  by  those 


324  GOOD  ENGLISH 

who  belonged  to  political  circles  at  the  time  in  which  he 
lived. 

3.  Reduce  a  clause  in  each  of  the  following  sentences  to  a  par- 

ticipial, a  prepositional,  or  an  infinitive  phrase  :  — 

(1)  While  we  were  playing  our  duet,  the  lamp  fell  from  the 

piano. 

(2)  If  you  go  up  to  the  top  of  the  hill,  you  will  get  a  beautiful 

view  of  the  surrounding  country. 

(3)  Students  who  wish  to  buy  tickets  should  apply  at  the  office 

.  at  noon  recess. 

(4)  The  pupils  who  doubt  their  success  are  without  exception 

the  pupils  who  fail. 

(5)  She  studied  night  and  day,  for  she  had  made  up  her  mind 

that  she  would  pass. 

(6)  When  Rustum  recognized  his  son  in  Sohrab,  he  no  longer 

had  the  heart  to  fight. 

(7)  Pupils  who  want  to  cheer  the  team  on  to  victory  should 

be  among  those  who  sit  in  the  first  rows. 

(8)  While  we  were  discussing  the  appropriateness  of  the  ques- 

tion, Tom  suddenly  decided  that  he  did  not  care  to  be  a 
member  of  the  debating  team. 

(9)  Learn  that  you  must  labor  and  that  you  must  wait. 

(10)  They  hoped  that  they  would  beat  the  opposing  team  and 

that  they  could  take  home  a  great  big  wonderful  score. 

(11)  A  bird  that  is  in  the  hand  is  worth  two  that  are  in  the 

bush. 

(12)  A  stitch  that  is  taken  in  time  is  worth  nine. 

4.  Convert  a  prepositional  phrase  in  each  of  the  following  sen- 

tences into  a  participial  or  an  infinitive  phrase :  — 

(1)  On  his  departure  from  the  house  he  called  back  to  us, 

"Good  luck!" 

(2)  During  practice  on  the  field  he  was  taken  ill. 

(3)  They  decided  upon  a  trip  to  Niagara. 

(4)  They  hoped  and  prayed  for  victory. 

(5)  On  his  arrival  at  the  office  he  found  the  door  locked. 

(6)  In  going  from  one  place  to  another  they  found  many  i>oint8 

of  great  interest  to  them. 

(7)  He  was  caught  in  the  act  of  cheating. 

(8)  At  sight  of  her  wounded  son,  she  fell  prostrate. 


HOW   TO   BE   THOROUGH  325 

(9)  They  ran  madly  into  the  hall  at  the  sound  of  the  bell. 
(10)  On  his  entrance  into  the  room,  he  saw  a  beautiful  picture. 

5.  Expand  a  word  (or  words)  in  each  of  the  following  sentences 

into  a  phrase  or  a  clause :  — 

(1)  O  that  I  had  the  dove's  wings! 

(2)  She  has  a  lily  brow  and  a  rosy  cheek. 

(3)  A  working  man  is  an  earning  man. 

(4)  She  told  him  to  go  to  the  store  immediately. 

('(5)  Slowly,  gradually,  deliberately  they  stole  upon  the  enemy. 

(6)  The  conceited  boy  was  defeated  by  his  own  vanity. 

(7)  She  has  golden  hair  and  hazel  brown  eyes. 

(8)  The  boy  refusing  an  opportunity  to  appear  in  public  is 

denying  himself  the  best,  educationally. 

(9)  He  spoke  clearly  and  emphatically. 

(10)  Those  having  tickets  to  sell  should  stand  here. 

6.  Expand  a  prepositional,  a  participial,  or  an  infinitive  phrase  in 

each  of  the  following  sentences  into  a  clause :  — 

(1)  They  hope  to  sail  today. 

(2)  On  standing  up  to  recite,  he  forgot  the  question  asked  of 

him. 

(3)  At  school  he  is  earnest  and  industrious;    at  home  he  is 

idle  and  mischievous. 

(4)  They  decided  to  fight  with  swords  only. 

(5)  After  seeing  him  off  they  went  to  the  movies. 

(6)  Studying  day  and  night  you  will  injure  your  health. 

(7)  On  the  umpire's  decision  against  them,  our  boys  were 

crestfallen. 

(8)  He  told  the  boys  to  sit  together  and  not  to  talk. 

(9)  Arriving  home  late  at  night,  they  were  surprised  to  find 

Fido  lying  on  the  doorstep  waiting  to  greet  them. 
(10)  Seeing  me  on  his  entrance  he  went  upstairs  directly  in 
order  to  avoid  the  stormy  scene. 

7.  Reduce  the  short  sentences  in  each  of  the  following  groups  to 

one  good  sentence  :  — 

(1)  John's  heart  is  true.     John's  head  is  clear.     John's  spirit 

is  loyal. 

(2)  He  is  an   excellent   player.     He  also   speaks  well.     He 

owes  his  musical  and  oratorical  ability  to  hard  work. 


326  GOOD  ENGLISH 

(3)  There  was  an  Ancient  Mariner.     He  stopped  one  of  three 

men.     The  men  were  going  to  a  wedding.     He  told 
him  his  story. 

(4)  He  looked  up.     He  looked  down.     He  looked  forward. 

He  looked  backward.     He  could  not  tell  where  the  noise 
came  from. 

(5)  He  was  old.     She  was  young.     They  called  him  Decem- 

ber.    They  called  her  May.     He  married  her. 

(6)  The  sun  rose.      The  dew  disappeared.     The  workmen 

went  out  to  the  fields.     She  had  died.     The  daily  round 
of  labor  lost  all  interest  for  him. 

(7)  They   ran   in.     They   ran   out.     They   whistled.     They 

shouted.     Auntie  lived  in  constant  terror  of  them. 

(8)  They  pitched  their  tent.     They  set  their  lines.     They 

equipped  their  boats.     They  were  ready  for  a  royal 
summer. 

(9)  The  king  reviews  his  troops.     The  soldiers  appear  at  their 

best.     A  surprise  attack  is  made.     King  and  soldiers 
fall  in  defeat. 
(10)  Brian    loved    Rebecca.     Rebecca    did    not    love    Brian. 
Ivanhoe  fought  to  rescue  her  from  him. 

8.   Write  each  of  the  following  sentences  in  a  different  form  of  dis- 
course :  — 

(1)  The  poet  said  that  it  is  better  to  have  loved  and  lost  than 

never  to  have  loved  at  all. 

(2)  "To  do  a  great  good,"  said  Portia  to  Shylock,  "do  a  little 

wrong." 

(3)  Marc  Antony  said  in  his  great  oration  that  the  evil  men  do 

lives  after  them,  the  good  is  oft  interred  with  their  bones. 

(4)  "By  thy  long  beard  and  glittering  eye,  now  wherefore 

stopp'st  thou  me?"     asked  the  wedding  guest  of  the 
Ancient  Mariner. 

(5)  John  said  that  his  father  used  to  say  that  sparing  the  rod 

means  spoiling  the  child. 

(6)  "Ah-a,  my  good  man,"  shouted  the  knight,  "now  will  I 

run  thee  through  before  thou  hast  time  to  utter  thy 
prayers!" 

(7)  They  were  told,  they  said,  to  take  the  first  turning  on  the 

left  and  then  to  follow  the  wooded  path. 


HOW   TO  BE   THOROUGH  327 

(8)  "Whatever  I  do,  whatever  I  say,  Grandmother  tells  me 

that  isn't  the  way,"  sobbed  Alice. 

(9)  The  orator  said  that  if  he  could  not  have  liberty  he  wanted 

to  die. 
(10)  "I,  sir,  I  am  Roderick  Dhu,"  said  the  warrior  with  much 
importance. 

9.  Rewrite  each  of  the  following  sentences,  correcting  the  repeti- 
tion :  — 

(1)  One  does  not  have  to  go  if  one  does  not  care  to,  but  really, 

every  one  should  want  to  have  one  good  time  before 
one  dies. 

(2)  The  effect  of  the  music  upon  her  was  very  affecting. 

(3)  There  were  thirteen  there  but  there  wasn't  the  slightest 

superstition  expressed  by  any  one  there. 

(4)  It  is  not  the  big  things  but  the  little  things  in  life  that 

bring  out  the  things  worth  while  in  your  character. 

(5)  All  the  time  he  kept  quiet  and  presently  all  of  them  began 

to  notice  that  he  was  altogether  almost  uncomfortable. 

(6)  John  said  he  thought  he  would  go  to  the  game,  but  Mary 

said  she  preferred  to  go  to  the  theater. 

(7)  Quite  a  little  distance  from  the  house  there  is  quite  a  his- 

torical old  tree  that  is  quite  interesting. 

(8)  None  of  them  knew  what  the  result  of  such  a  decision  would 

be,  but  they  knew  that  whatever  resulted  the  result 
could  not  be  worse  than  what  had  been  resulting  right 
along. 

(9)  They  were  all  ready  and  all  went  altogether,  so  the  affair 

promised  to  be  all  right  after  all. 
(10)  I  love  the  city  because  the  city  is  always  so  interesting. 

10.  Establish  the  proper  relationship  among  the  ideas  in  each  of 
the  following  sentences  by  converting  independent  clauses 
into  words,  phrases,  or  dependent  clauses  :  — 

(1)  I  got  up  this  morning  and  I  had  a  severe  headache. 

(2)  I  looked  out  of  the  window  and  I  saw  it  was  raining  very 

hard. 

(3)  He  jumped  up  from  his  chair  and  shouted  "Who's  there  ?  " 

(4)  He  played  football  all  season  and  he  passed  in  all  his  sub- 

jects. 


328  GOOD  ENGLISH 

(5)  The  journey  was  made  by  boat  and  I  enjoyed  every  bit 

of  it. 

(6)  We  studied  our  algebra  and  then  we  studied  our  English 

and  then  we  sang  popular  songs  till  eleven  o'clock. 

(7)  I  thought  of  John  out  there  alone  in  the  trenches  and  I 

wrote  him  a  good  long  letter. 

(8)  Lowell  was  a  poet  and  he  was  the  author  of  The  Biglow 

Papers. 

(9)  I  hke  poetry  and  I  read  all  the  good  poetry  I  can  find. 
(10)  The  storm  cleared  away  in  a  little  while  and  then  we  could 

see  the  path  and  we  made  our  way  home  without  trouble. 


LESSON   FORTY  SEVEN 
General  Tests 

It  is  a  good  thing  to  test  yourself,  not  only  in  certain 
special  divisions  of  your  work,  but  along  general  lines  as 
well.  The  notebook  in  which  you  keep  troublesome  cases 
of  spelling,  troublesome  cases  of  punctuation,  troublesome 
cases  of  sentence  construction,  and  so  forth,  should  some- 
times be  used  for  the  purpose  of  testing  your  all-round 
standing  in  English.  You  may  thus  establish  standards 
for  yourself.  Can  you  at  the  end  of  a  certain  week  or 
month  pass  a  test  on  the  work  of  that  week  or  month? 
Do  you  lead  or  lag  behind  your  classmates  in  meeting  the 
requirements  of  the  work  in  a  certain  period?  Have  you 
at  the  end  of  this  very  week,  let  us  say,  mastered  some 
definite  thing  in  your  work  in  English?  Are  you  able  to 
cross  out  a  page  in  the  notebook  and  let  it  go  forever,  be- 
cause you  have  fixed  its  contents  permanently  in  your  mind  ? 

If  you  have  studied  all  the  lessons  in  this  book,  you  should 
be  able  to  meet  the  sixteen  tests  enumerated  below.  If  you 
have  studied  only  part  of  the  lessons  in  this  book,  you 
should  be  able  to  meet  those  that  have  been  covered  in  the 


HOW   TO   BE   THOROUGH  329 

lessons  studied.     Measure  yourself  by  these  requirements. 
Cheek  yourself  up  by  them  unsparingly. 

1.  You  should  be  able  to  write  a  correct  letter,  that  is,  to  plan 
and  punctuate  the  letter  parts  correctly. 

2.  You  should  be  able  to  write  the  following  kinds  of  letters ;  — 

(1)  Letter  ordering  goods 


(2)  Letter  of  receipt 

(3)  Letter  of  complaint 

(4)  Letter  of  adjustment 

(5)  Letter  of  application 

(6)  Letter  of  excuse 

(7)  Letter  of  request 

(8)  Letter  of  recommendation 

(9)  Letter  of  invitation 

(10)  Letter  of  thanks 

(11)  Letter  to  a  friend 

(12)  Brief  letter  to  a  newspaper 

(13)  Brief  letter  to  sell  or  to  advertise 

3.  You  should  be  able  to  plan  and  write  a  composition  of  three 
or  four  paragraphs,  —  a  composition  that  interests,  that  makes 
clear,  that  convinces. 

4.  You  should  be  able  to  plan  and  write  single  paragraphs  having 
unity,  coherence,  and  emphasis. 

5.  You  should  be  able  to  write  clear,  coherent,  and  emphatic 
sentences  of  many  different  kinds. 

6.  You  should  be  able  to  use  at  least  one  thousand  words  ac- 
curately and  to  study  words  from  the  dictionary  inteUigently. 

7.  You  should  be  able  to  use  the  different  parts  of  speech 
correctly,  to  know  their  classifications,  inflections,  and  con- 
structions. 

8.  You  should  be  able  to  construct  sentences  to  show  the  various 
uses  of  the  parts  of  speech,  of  phrases,  and  of  clauses. 

9.  You  should  be  able  to  analyze  complex  and  compound  sen- 
tences of  two  or  three  clauses. 


330 


GOOD  ENGLISH 


^    10.  You  should  be  able  to  conjugate  verbs,  especially  the  com- 
mon irregula?  ones. 

11.  You  should  be  able  to  capitalize  and  to  punctuate  accurately 
any  sentences  that  you  can  construct  correctly. 

12.  You  should  be  able  to  pronounce  the  following  words  and 
other  words  of  the  class  each  represents,  with  accuracy  and  dis- 
tinction :  — 


alms 

diamond 

letter 

soon 

wist 

am 

dog 

lists 

star 

why 

ask 

facts 

man 

then 

did  you 

assure 

history 

new 

third 

let  me 

bird 

huge 

raw 

veil 

one  and  all 

catch 

idea 

recognize 

was 

two  suits 

city 

join 

revive 

whereas 

cold 

just 

ringing 

widths 

13.  You  should  be  able  to  speak  in  public,  —  debate,  make 
announcements,  and  so  forth,  with  precision  and  effectiveness. 

14.  You  should  be  able  to  read  prose  and  poetry,  such  as  you  find 
in  the  preceding  pages,  with  that  intelligence  and  enjoyment  which 
come  from  quick  and  clear  understanding  of  their  structure. 

15.  You  should  be  able  (and  this  is  perhaps  most  important 
of  all)  to  prepare  by  planning  what  you  have  to  say,  and  to  express 
it  in  such  a  manner  that  it  will  be  forcible,  interesting,  and  clear. 

16.  You  should,  finally,  be  able  to  criticize  both  yourself  and 
others  kindly  and  helpfully;  that  is,  you  should  be  able  to  "help 
yourself"  to  become  a  user  of  good  English. 

These  sixteen  points  represent  by  no  means  all  that  you 
should  be  able  to  do,  if  you  have  studied  this  book  carefully. 
They  are  average  standards.  Be  able  to  do  at  least  these 
things.  No  two  members  of  a  class  are  exactly  equal  in 
standing.  They  cannot  be,  for  no  two  individuals  are 
exactly  equal  in  capability  and  attainment.  But  the  mem- 
bers of  a  class  approximate  a  uniform  standard.  Suppose 
the  following  lines  indicate  the  individuals  in  a  class  of  ten  :  — 


HOW   TO  BE   THOROUGH 


331 


John  Bill  Tom  Dick  Harry  Rob  Tim  Jim  Fred   George 

Harry  stands  highest;  Tom  lowest;  Rob  is  average. 
Harry  could  easily  meet  all  of  the  above  sixteen  require- 
ments and  more,  after  he  had  studied  this  book.  Tom 
could  probably  meet  eight  or  ten  of  them.  Rob  could  just 
meet  all  of  them. 

You  will  find  it  both  interesting  and  helpful  to  draw  lines 
of  this  kind  for  the  members  of  your  class.  Find  your  own 
line  among  the  twenty  or  thirty  or  forty  others.  Is  it 
Harry's?  Is  it  Tom's?  Is  it  Rob's?  If  it  is  Harry's,  are 
you  going  to  lie  down  and  rest  until  the  others  catch  up? 
If  it  is  Tom's,  are  you  going  to  be  discouraged?  If  it  is 
Rob's,  are  you  going  to  be  satisfied? 

Following  are  a  few  general  tests  in  English.  Perhaps 
they  are  familiar.  Every  pupil  in  the  class  should  be  able 
to  pass  each  test,  though  of  course  all  will  not  receive  the 
same  mark.  Harry  will  probably  make  100%  on  each; 
Tom,  probably  70%;  Rob,  probably  80%  or  85%.  Study 
each  question  thoroughly  before  you  attempt  to  answer  it. 
Be  sure  that  you  understand  exactly  for  what  it  asks.  Note 
the  value  attached  to  each  question  and  apportion  your 
time  and  space  accordingly  in  answering.     Refer  to  lessons 


332  GOOD  ENGLISH 

in  this  book  for  as  many  of  the  answers  as  possible.  Books 
other  than  those  mentioned  may  of  course  be  substituted  in 
the  questions  deaUng  with  hterature. 

Test  I 

1.  Name  in  topical  form  and  in  order  of  occurrence  five  of 

the  most  important  events  in  Ivanhoe  or  Quentin  Durward 
or  Treasure  Island.  Under  each  event  named  state  at 
least  two  subordinate  topics.  (15) 

2.  Imagine  yourself   one  of   the  characters  in  Ivanhoe  or 

Quentin  Durward  or  Treasure  Island.     As  that  char- 
acter, plan  and  write  a  letter  of  four  or  five  good 
paragraphs  to  another  character  in  the  story  in  which 
you  tell  about  your  most  interesting  experience. 
(Plan,  10.      Form,  5.      Content,  10.     Structure,  15. 

Total  —  40) 

3.  On  March  15, 1915,  you  wrote  to  John  Wanamaker,  Broad- 

way and  Tenth  Street,  New  York,  ordering  material  for 
a  garment  and  inclosing  money  for  the  same.  Up  to  date 
you  have  received  neither  the  material  nor  an  answer. 
Write  a  second    letter.        (Form,  5.        Content,  15. 

Total— 20) 

4.  (a)  Arrange  the  words  of  the  following  sentence  in  columns 

so  as  to  show  what  parts  of  speech  they  are :  — 
When  the  pupils  were  asked  to  name  the  most  important 
day  of  the  year,  they  said  with  much  spirit,  "June  SO,  the 
day  school  closes."  (20) 

(6)   What  kind  of  sentence  is  the  above?    Reason.  (5) 

Test  II 

1.  Make  an  outline  for  a  composition  of  four  or  five  para- 

graphs on  Greek  life  as  set  forth  by  Homer.  Write  the 
topic  sentence  for  each  paragraph.  (20) 

2.  Develop  one  of  the  paragraphs  outlined  in  answer  to 

question  1.  (10) 


HOW   TO   BE   THOROUGH  333 

3.  Select  a  character  from  the  Iliad  or  the  Odyssey  and 

tell  a  short  story  to  illustrate  his  or  her  principal 
characteristics.  (15) 

4.  Write  to  Marshall  Field  and  Company,  Chicago,  Illinois, 

ordering  a  certain  number  of  yards  of  dress  goods  at  so 
much  a  yard.  Inclose  check  or  money  order  and 
sample  of  goods  to  be  matched.  (20) 

5.  (a)  Write  the  following  conversation  correctly :  — 

By  the  way  you  are  Scotch  I  think.    Yes  said  Rob. 

I  asked  explained  the  editor  only  because  of  the  shall 

and  will  difficulty.     Have  you  got  over  that  yet.     No 

said  Rob  sadly  and  I  never  will.  (10) 

(6)  Explain  in  a  few  words  the  humor  in  the  above  extract .    (5) 

(c)  Write  the  third  sentence  in  indirect  discourse.  (5) 

6.  (a)  What  kind  of  sentence  is  the  following?  —  (5) 
(6)  Classify  the  clauses  in  it.  (5) 
(c)  Give  the  syntax  of  dispute  and  about.                              (5) 

There  has  been  some  dispute  about  who  wrote  the 
Iliad  and  the  Odyssey. 

Test  III 

1.  (a)  You  have  employed  for  some  time  in  your  real  estate 

office  a  girl  whose  work  has  been  entirely  satisfac- 
tory. She  now  has  an  opportunity  to  secure  a  much 
better  position  than  you  can  offer  her.  Make  a  plan 
for  a  letter  of  recommendation  to  be  sent  by  you  in 
her  behalf  to  the  firm  that  offers  the  better  place.  (5) 
(6)  Write  the  letter.  (10) 

2.  (a)  Make  a  plan  for  a  theme  of  three  or  four  paragraphs 

on  the  following :  —  (10) 

Improving  my  Own  Speech 
(6)  Write  the  theme.  (20) 

3.  Write  a  good  paragraph  on  one  of  the  following :  — 

(a)  What  interest  in  foreign  lands  might  one  gain  from 
reading  Scott's  Quentln  Durwardf 


334  GOOD  ENGLISH 

(b)  What  interest  in  foreign  lands  might  one  gain  from 

reading  Stevenson's  Kidnapped  ? 

(c)  Discuss  Scott's  manner  of  telUng  a  story. 

(d)  Discuss  Kidnapped  in  such  a  way  as  to  make  a  person 

wish  to  read  it.  (20) 

4.  Outline  and  write  two  good  paragraphs  on  one  of  the  fol- 

lowing :  — 
(a)  A  play  that  you  have  seen  or  a  book  that  you  have 

read  that  you  care  to  recommend  to  others. 
{b)  Some  work  that  is  being  done  in  your  community 

to  make  people  better  and  happier. 

(c)  Getting  ready  for  a  school  party. 

(d)  Trimming  a  new  spring  hat. 

(e)  Making  a  cake. 

(/)  How  a  certain  dress  was  made.  (20) 

(g)  Laying  out  a  diamond. 

(h)  Preparing  for  a  hike. 

(i)    Features  of  a  Wild  West  show. 

5.  Write  three  complex  sentences,  giving  in  each  a  brief  ex- 

planation of  some  current  topic  you  have  studied  during 
the  past  ten  weeks.  (15) 

Test  IV 

(The  following  seven  questions  are  used  by  permission  of 
the  New  York  State  Board  of  Regents.) 

1.  Answer  either  a  or  b:  —  [20] 

a.  Write  a  letter  to  any  person  you  may  select,  describing 

the  community,  the  town,  or  the  city  in  which  you  live, 
and  mentioning  points  of  advantage  or  interest  that 
might  attract  strangers  to  settle  there. 

b.  One  of  your  friends  who  is  about  to  graduate  from  the 

grammar  school  has  decided  not  to  go  to  the  high  school. 
Write  a  letter  urging  this  friend  to  continue  through  the 
high  school.  \ 


HOW   TO  BE   THOROUGH  335 

2.  Write  a  composition  about  a  person  or,  if  you  wish,  a  bird 

or  an  animal  mentioned  in  one  of  the  following  [Include  such 
points  as  (a)  appearance,  (6)  habits,  (c)  characteristics] : 
T'/ie  Lad?/  of  the  Lake,  The  Man  without  a  Country,  A  Watcher 
in  the  Woods,  In  the  Wilderness,  Horatius,  To  a  Skylark.    [20] 

3.  Answer  either  a  or  6 :  —  [10] 

a.  Give   in   complete   sentences   the   following   information 

about  a  book,  not  named  in  question  2,  that  you  have 
read  in  the  past  year :  (1)  author,  (2,  3)  time  and  place 
indicated  in  its  contents,  (4)  your  opinion  of  it,  (5)  what 
induced  you  to  read  the  book. 

b.  Select  five  words   from  the   following  list  and  write  five 

sentences  each  of  which  shall  illustrate  a  different  one 
of  the  words  selected  :  theme,  vindictive,  hamlet,  spied, 
eagerly,  fiHal,  fearfully,  armor,  lofty,  twinkUng,  fleecy, 
season,  realm,  mystic,  trembling. 

4.  Write  an  outhne  on  one  of  the  following  topics :  —  [10] 

a.  A  possible  experience  of  a  fire  engine  horse  or  an  army 

officer's  horse  or  sl  farm  horse. 
h.  A  recent  invention  or  a  household  convenience. 

c.  Any  recent  event  of  current  interest. 

5.  Answer  either  a  or  h:—  [20] 

a.  Imagine  that  you  are  a  Boy  Scout  or  a  Camp  Fire  girl  and 

have  just  gone  into  camp  for  a  fortnight  or  a  month. 
Write  three  or  four  paragraphs  on  one  of  the  following :  — 
Our  Daily  Routine  in  Camp,  Safety  First  in  Camp,  A  Hike 
in  the  Dark,  Around  the  Campfire,  Keeping  Things  in  Order. 
The  picture  on  the  next  page  may  be  suggestive.  See 
also  the  pictures  on  pages  167  and  220. 

b.  Write  about  100  words  on  one  of  the  following :  — 

(1)  Your  own  biography. 

(2)  The  biography  of  the  character  in  history  that  you 

like  best. 

(3)  The  biography  of  Sir  Walter  Scott. 


AROUND    THE    CAMPFIRB, 


HOW   TO  BE   THOROUGH  337 

6.  Imagining  that  you  are  to  give  an  oral  composition  on  one 

of  the  following  topics  before  your  classmates  as  audience, 
think  what  you  would  wish  to  say  to  them  on  the  topic 
chosen,  arrange  your  material  in  natural  order,  and 
then  write  on  your  answer  paper  an  outline  for  use  as  a 
guide  while  speaking :  —  [10] 

(1)  The  play  of  Shakespeare  that  I  like  best. 

(2)  What  my  favorite  historic   character  did   for  his    (or 

her)  country. 

(3)  The  mining  of  coal  or  metal  or  the  process  of  manu- 

facture of  some  article  or  the  raising  of  a  crop. 

(4)  A  hobby  or  pastime  in  which  I  am  interested. 

7.  Quote  at  least  10  lines  of  prose  or  poetry  that  you  have 

memorized  this  year.  [The  lines  quoted  need  not  all  be 
selected  from  the  same  work.]     [10] 


APPENDIX 

CAPITALIZATION 
PUNCTUATION 
WORD  LISTS 
GRAMMAR 


APPENDIX 
CAPITALIZATION 

1.  The  first  word  of  every  sentence  should  be  capitalized. 

2.  The  first  word  of  every  line  of  poetry  should  be  capitalized. 

3.  The  pronoun  I  and  the  interjection  0  should  be  capitahzed. 
(The  interjection  oh  should  not  be  capitalized,  however,  except 

when  it  stands  first  in  a  sentence  or  in  a  fine  of  poetry.) 

4.  Proper  nouns  should  be  capitalized,  that  is,  the  names  of 
persons,  places,  days,  months,  special  documents,  special  bodies 
of  men,  etc. 

The  names  of  the  seasons  should  not  be  capitalized  unless 
they  are  used  figuratively  or  stand  first  in  a  sentence  or  a  line  of 
poetry. 

5.  Proper  adjectives  and  other  words  formed  from  proper  nouns 
should  be  capitalized. 

6.  Abbreviations  of  proper  nouns  and  adjectives  should  be 
capitalized. 

7.  Titles  u^ed  with  proper  nouns  should  be  capitalized. 

(Used  alone,  titles  are  sometimes  capitahzed,  sometimes  not.) 

8.  Nouns  usually  common  but  frequently  used  with  proper  nouns 
should  be  capitalized  when  so  used. 

Park  Street        Lincoln  Park       Manchester  College 
Ohio  River        Aunt  Mary  Colonel  Newcome 

(In  connection  with  rules  4  and  8  it  may  be  well  to  remember 
that,  generally  speaking,  a  word  is  capitalized  according  to  the 

341 


342  APPENDIX 

company  it  keeps.  The  word  falls  is  a  common  noun,  but  used 
in  company  with  Niagara  it  becomes  a  proper  noun  and  is  written 
with  a  capital,  as,  —  Niagara  Falls.  The  following  also  come 
under  this  rule,  —  Tariff  Bill,  Euclid  Avenue,  Leland  Stanford 
University.  The  words  north,  south,  east,  west,  and  their  compounds, 
are  capitalized  only  when  they  refer  to  special  locality,  as,  —  The 
East  and  the  West  stand  together.  The  Northwest  was  developed  by 
James  J.  Hill.    Fargo  is  north  of  St.  Louis.) 

9.   The  first  word  of  every  direct  quotation  should  be  capi- 
talized. 

10.  The  first  word  and  every  important  word  in  the  title  of  a 
book  or  composition  should  be  capitalized. 

11.  Personified  words  are  sometimes  capitalized. 

Still  is  the  toiling  hand  of  Care. 

12.  Capitals  are  frequently  used  in  order  to  make  words  emphatic. 

(One  should   use  caution  in  resorting  to  this  device  for 

emphasis.) 

The  most  important  rule  is  thai  for  Unity. 

13.  Words  referring  to  the  Deity  should  be  capitalized. 

Supreme  Power       Infinite  One 


PUNCTUATION 

The  punctuation  marks  are  as  follows :  — 

Period  .  Dash  — 

Comma  ,  Quotation  Marks  "   "    *   ' 

Semicolon  ;  Apostrophe     •  ' 

Colon  :  Parentheses  (  ) 

Question  Mark  ?  Brackets  [  ] 

Exclamation  Mark  !  Hyphen 

The  Use  of  Punctuation  Marks 
The  Period    (.) 

1.  The  period  is  used  after  imperative  and  declarative  sentences. 
Its  purpose  here  is  to  distinguish  sentences  from  clauses. 

It  is  also  used  after  abbreviations,  after  numbers  and  letters 
that  point  out  the  divisions  of  a  piece  of  writing,  and  after  whole 
numbers  to  set  off  decimals. 


The  Comma    (,) 

"  The  comma  is  a  point  used  to  indicate  the  smallest  interruption 
in  continuity  of  thought  or  grammatical  construction,  the  marking 
of  which  contributes  to  clearness."  —  The  Century  Dictionary. 

1.  The  comma  is  used  to  facilitate  the  reading  of  numbers  of 
more  than  four  digits. 

11,189,211. 

2.  The  comma  is  used  to  separate  two  or  more  numbers  in  suc- 
cession. 

In  1917,  6283  'prisoners  were  set  free. 
The  reasons  are  stated  on  pages  4,  6,  8,  10,  and  16. 
343 


344  APPENDIX 

3.  The  comma  is  used  to  mark  off  a  series  of  words,  phrases,  or 
clauses  having  the  same  construction,  except  when  they  are  con- 
nected by  conjunctions.  If  the  last  two  in  the  series  are  connected 
by  a  conjunction,  the  better  usage  requires  the  comma  before  it. 

In  Europe,  in  America,  even  in  the  Far  East,  men  and  women  are 
now  concerned  with  the  problems  of  war. 

She  was  a  little,  thin,  nervous,  hard-working  woman. 

He  has  drowned  our  people,  ravaged  our  property,  and  insulted  our 
diplomats. 

He  was  tall  and  grave  and  silent. 

4.  The  comma  is  used  to  mark  off  words  or  phrases  that  are 
contrasted  by  pairs. 

Back  and  forth,  up  and  down,  to  and  fro,  the  poor  fellow  kept  pac- 
ing through  the  night. 

5.  The  comma  is  used  to  mark  off  a  short  direct  quotation. 
In  case  the  quotation  is  broken,  commas  are  placed  at  the  points 
where  the  breaks  occur. 

"  TTeW,"  said  he,  "what  are  you  going  to  dof 
He  replied,  ''I  do  not  know,''  and  left  the  room. 

6.  The  comma  is  used  to  mark  off  words  and  phrases  that  are 
explanatory  or  in  apposition. 

Abraham  Lincoln,  the  liberator  of  the  slaves,  was  president  from 
1861  to  1865. 

The  largest  book  on  the  shelf  is  a  compilation,  or  encyclopedia,  of 
historical  facts. 

Major  Southy,  of  Indianapolis,  has  been  sent  abroad. 

7.  The  conmia  is  used  to  separate  words,  phrases,  and  clauses 
that  would  run  together  to  make  an  absurd  or  ambiguous  reading, 
if  they  were  not  so  separated. 

To  Mary,  Conrad  replied  with  politeness. 

The  man  ate  his  dinner,  and  his  daughter  cleared  the  table. 

8.  The  comma  is  used  to  mark  off  words  and  phrases  of  direct 
address. 

/  trust,  gentlemen,  that  I  make  myself  clear. 


APPENDIX  345 

9.  The  comma  is  used  to  separate  the  names  of  different  divisions 
of  time  and  place,  where  they  appear  in  succession. 

Saturday,  February  12,  1918. 
Indianapolis,  Indiana,  U.  S.  A. 

10.  The  comma  is  sometimes  used  to  denote  the  omission  of  one 
or  more  words  in  a  sentence. 

John  went  today;   George,  yesterday. 

11.  The  comma  is  used  to  mark  off  relative  clauses  that  are  not 
restrictive.  A  non-restrictive  clause  is  not  grammatically  neces- 
sary to  the  sentence.  It  represents  a  statement  added,  and  does 
not  unite  with  what  it  modifies  to  form  a  single  idea.  In,  — 
''The  moon,  which  seemed  brighter  here  than  in  the  North,  lit  our 
path,"  the  non-restrictive  clause,  which  seemed  brighter  here  than  in 
the  North,  can  be  separated  from  the  noun  it  modifies  without 
affecting  the  sense  of  the  remainder  of  the  sentence, —  "  The 
moon  Ut  our  path."     Therefore  it  is  marked  off  by  commas. 

A  restrictive  clause  is  grammatically  necessary  to  the  sentence. 
It  unites  with  what  it  modifies  and  the  two  parts  are  intended  to 
be  taken  together  as  one.  In,  —  "I  saw  the  man  whom  you 
know''  —  the  restrictive  clause,  whom  you  know,  cannot  be  sepa- 
rated from  the  word  it  modifies  without  leaving  the  sense  in- 
complete. It  was  not  the  man  but  the  man  whom  you  know  that 
I  saw.  Therefore  such  a  clause  should  not  be  marked  off  by  a 
comma. 

12.  The  comma  is  used,  on  exactly  the  same  principle,  to  mark 
off  parenthetical  expressions,  that  is,  words,  phrases,  or  clauses, 
which  are  not  necessary  to  complete  the  syntax  of  the  sentence. 
These  expressions  may  be  "thrown-in"  words,  hke  however,  as  in, 
—  "You  must  not  believe,  however,  that  I  am  deserting  you." 
Or  they  may  be  phrases  or  clauses,  as, —  "The  cat,  springing 
from  the  table,  caught  the  mouse."  "I  saw  George,  as  he  was  ew- 
tering  the  door,  totter  and  fall." 

13.  The  comma  is  used  to  separate  a  preceding  clause,  long 
phrase,  or  absolute  construction  from  the  main  clause. 


346  APPENDIX 

If  the  weather  is  favorable,  the  pier  will  be  completed  by  June. 
In  spite  of  every  assistance  from  the  authorities,  he  failed  to  catch 
the  thief. 

The  fox  having  been  caught,  we  went  home. 

14.  The  comma  is  xised  to  mark  off  the  members  of  coordinate 
clauses  in  a  compound  sentence  when  the  ideas  expressed  in  them 
are  contrasted,  or  when  there  is  a  separation  in  thought  that  seems 
to  require  some  punctuation.  If  the  separation  in  thought  is 
great,  or  if  there  is  no  conjunction  connecting  the  clauses,  or  if 
there  are  commas  within  the  clauses,  use  the  semicolon.  (See  Rule 
1  under  the  Semicolon  and  the  examples  there  given.) 

/  shall  return,  but  I  should  prefer  to  stay  away. 

George  likes  to  skate  on  thin  ice,  and  some  day  he  will  get  an  unex- 
pected cold  bath. 

I  like  New  York;  but  this  does  not  mean  that  I  should  be  happy 
nowhere  else. 

I  went  to  New  Jersey;   George,  to  Oregon. 

Some  cats,  so  they  say,  have  been  known  to  find  their  way  home  from 
another  country;  but  my  cat,  I  am  sure,  would  be  lost  if  I  dropped 
her  in  the  next  street. 


The  Semicolon  (;) 

1.  The  semicolon  is  used  to  mark  off  the  coordinate  clauses  in 
a  compound  sentence' if  the  separation  of  thought  is  great,  or  if 
there  is  no  conjunction  connecting  the  clauses,  or  if  there  are 
commas  within  the  clauses.     (See  Rule  14  under  the  Comma.) 

/  like  New  York;  but  this  does  not  mean  that  I  should  be  happy 
nowhere  else. 

I  went  to  New  Jersey;  George  went  to  Oregon. 

Some  cats,  so  they  say,  have  been  known  to  find  their  way  home  from 
another  country;  but  my  cat,  I  am  sure,  would  be  lost  if  I  dropped 
her  in  the  next  street. 

2.  The  semicolon  is  used  to  mark  off  a  series  of  long  or  short 
clauses  that  are  not  closely  connected  in  thought. 


APPENDIX  347 

The  captain  was  inflexible;  the  troops  were  paraded  in  the  square; 
the  drums  beat;   the  bells  tolled. 

3.  The  semicolon  is  used  to  mark  off  a  series  of  clauses  or  phrases 
that  are  all  dependent  upon  the  same  word,  phrase,  or  clause. 

The  salmon  migrates  from  sea  to  river ;  the  bird  makes  its  nest  or 
migrates  from  one  zone  to  another  by  an  unvarying  route,  even  leaving 
its  young  behind  to  perish;  the  bee  builds  its  six-sided  cell;  the  spider 
spins  its  web;  the  chick  breaks  its  way  through  the  shell,  balances 
itself,  and  picks  up  grains  of  corn,  —  all  in  virtue  of  like  acts  on  the 
part  of  their  ancestors. 


The  Colon  (;) 

1.  The  colon  is  used  before  a  long  quotation,  and  before  the 
statement  of  a  proposition  for  debate. 

He  very  appropriately  quoted  that  popular  couplet: 
**J?e  to  her  faults  a  little  blind; 
Be  to  her  virtues  very  kind." 
Resolved :    That  all  pupils  should  be  obliged  to  study  Latin. 

2.  The  colon  is  ordinarily  used  after  the  salutation  in  business 
letters. 

My  dear  Sir  : 
Gentlemen  : 

3.  The  colon  is  used  to  precede  explanatory  or  illustrative 
matter. 

He  provided  himself  with  the  following  tools:  a  hammer,  a  plane, 
a  wrench,  and  a  saw. 

4.  The  colon  is  used  to  separate  two  clauses  when  the  latter 
of  the  two  explains  or  defines  or  repeats  the  content  of  the  former. 

I  am  no  reader :  it  is  years  since  I  have  read  a  book  through. 

The  candle  stood  on  the  counter,  its  flame  solemnly  wagging  in  a 
draught;  and  by  that  inconsiderable  movement,  the  whole  room  was 
filled  with  noiseless  bustle  and  kept  heaving  like  a  sea :  the  tall  shadows 
nodding,  the  gross  blots  of  darkness  swelling  and  dwindling  as  with 
respiration,  the  faces  of  the  portraits  and  the  china  gods  changing  and 
wavering  like  images  in  water. 


348  APPENDIX 

The  Question  Mark  (?) 

1.  The  question  mark  is  used  after  direct  questions. 

Where  have  you  been  today  ? 

He  asked,  **  Where  have  you  been  today?** 

It  is  not  used  after  indirect  questions,  however. 

He  asked  where  I  had  been  today. 

When  a  series  of  short  questions  occur  in  succession,  it  is  better 
to  place  a  question  mark  after  each  member  of  the  series  than  to 
separate  the  parts  by  commas  or  semicolons  and  place  the  ques- 
tion mark  at  the  end  of  the  series  only. 

In  what  state  is  Albuquerque  ?     Helena  f     Boise  City  ? 

2.  The  question  mark  is  sometimes  used  in  parentheses  to  indi- 
cate doubt  or  indecision. 

Shakespeare  was  born  on  April  23  ( ?)  1664* 


The  Exclamation  Mark  (!) 

1 .  The  exclamation  mark  is  ordinarily  used  after  interjections  and 
after  other  words  and  phrases  that  show  strong  feeling.  But  when 
an  interjection  stands  at  the  beginning  of  an  exclamatory  sentence,  a 
conrnia  may  be  placed  after  it,  and  the  exclamation  point  may  be 
placed  at  the  end  of  the  sentence.  The  interjection  0  is  used,  as  a 
rule,  in  direct  address  only. 

Ouch ! 

Away  with  you! 

Hear  my  plea,  O  God! 

Oh,  how  you  have  spoiled  things! 


The  Dash  (— ) 

1.  The  dash  is  used  to  denote  a  sudden  change  or  interruption 
in  thought. 

Well,  yes,  Vll  go  —  but,  no  —  Vm  really  needed  here. 


APPENDIX  349 

2.  The  dash  is  used  in  place  of  parentheses  to  set  off  extra  or 
explanatory  matter,  or  to  indicate  the  expansion  of  an  idea. 

Bvi  I  saw  at  once  that  he  was  just  my  height  —  five  feet  four  and  a 
half. 

But,  in  a  larger  sense,  we  cannot  dedicate  —  we  cannot  consecrate  — 
we  cannot  hallow  —  this  ground. 

3.  The  dash  is  occasionally  used  with  and  sometimes  without 
the  comma  or  the  colon  after  the  salutation  in  letters  and  before 
illustrations  and  explanations. 

Dear  Sir :  — 
Dear  Mary,  — 
Dear  Uncle  — 


Quotation  Marks  ("  ") 


1.   Quotation  marks  are  of  two  kinds,  double  and  single. 

Double  quotation  marks  are  used  to  set  off  direct  quotation  or 
direct  discourse,  that  is,  the  exact  expression  of  a  writer  or 
speaker.  Single  quotation  marks  are  used  to  set  off  a  direct  quota- 
tion within  a  quotation.  A  quotation  within  this  quotation  should 
be  set  off  by  double  marks.  When  words  spoken  or  written  by  one 
person  are  expressed  indirectly  by  another,  quotation  marks  are  not 
necessary.  In  John  said,  "  I  will  go,"  the  discourse  is  direct  and 
quotation  marks  are  necessary.  In  John  said  that  he  would  go,  the 
discourse  is  indirect  and  no  quotation  marks  are  needed. 

When  a  quotation  is  interrupted  by  words  that  do  not  belong  to 
the  quotation,  each  part  of  it  should  be  placed  in  quotation  marks. 

Quotations  are  usually  preceded  by  the  comma  or  by  the  colon. 
The  second  part  of  a  broken  quotation  should  be  preceded  by  that 
mark  of  punctuation  which  would  be  used  were  there  no  interrup- 
tion. 

When  a  series  of  paragraphs  is  quoted,  quotation  marks  are 
placed  at  the  beginning  of  each  paragraph,  but  at  the  end  of  the 
last  one  only. 


350  APPENDIX 

^^' Stand!*  cried  Alan,  and  pointed  his  sword  at  him. 

^' The  captain  stood,  indeed;  but  he  neither  winced  nor  drew  hack 
a  foot. 

"'A  naked  sword?'  says  he.  *  This  is  a  strange  return  for  hos- 
pitality.''' 

2.  Quotation  marks,  double  or  single,  are  sometimes  used  to  call 
special  attention  to  a  word  or  a  phrase  or  a  particular  passage,  and 
to  indicate  names  and  titles. 

In  the  bright  lexicon  of  youth  there  is  no  such  word  as  'fail.' 
What  is  the  syntax  of  ''in  the  room"  ? 

Instead  of  quotation  marks,  a  special  kind  of  type  is  sometimes 
used  for  the  purpose  of  calling  attention  to  a  word  or  a  phrase,  or 
for  denoting  titles;  thus,  italics.  Itahcs  are  preferable  to  quota- 
tion marks  for  indicating  emphasis,  for  printing  words  from  a  for- 
eign language,  and  for  titles  of  books,  magazines,  newspapers. 

A  Une  drawn  underneath  a  word  in  a  manuscript  indicates  to 
the  printer  that  the  word  is  to  be  italicized. 


The  Apostrophe  (') 


1.  The  apostrophe  is  used  to  denote  the  omission  of  a  letter  or 

letters.  ,  ^,.        ^,  ^        ^,. 

don  t         0  er         ace  t 

2.  The  apostrophe  is  used  to  denote  the  possessive  case. 

John's      men's     horses' 

3.  The  apostrophe  is  used  to  denote  the  plural  of  letters,  figures, 
signs,  and  so  forth. 

abc's        4's         *'s  <fc's 


Parentheses  (  ) 

1.  Parentheses  are  used  to  mark  off  signs,  figures,  letters,  and 
dates,  inserted  in  a  piece  of  writing. 


APPENDIX  351 

John  Greenleaf  Whittier  (1807-1892)  was  an  active  antislavery 
reformer. 

2.  Parentheses  are  used  to  mark  off  or  inclose  explanatory  matter 
that  has  little  or  no  grammatical  connection  with  the  rest  of  a 
sentence. 

/  saw  George  {he  is  an  old  friend  of  mine)  on  the  street  yesterday. 


Brackets  [  ] 

1.  Brackets  are  used  to  inclose  matter  less  closely  connected 
with  the  rest  of  the  sentence  than  that  inclosed  in  parentheses. 
They  are  especially  used  to  inclose  corrections  or  explanations  and 
additions  made  by  some  one  in  the  work  of  another. 

It  was  at  that  very  moment  [10  A.M.]  that  he  entered  the  room. 

''He  came  that  day  [the  writer  means  September  23]  to  my  house 
for  dinner.** 


The  Hyphen   (-) 

1.  The  hyphen  is  used  to  separate  the  parts  of  a  compound 

word. 

mother-in-law  sergeant-at-arms 

2.  The  hyphen  is  used  to  separate  two  vowels  that  come  together 
but  are  pronounced  separately. 

co-operation  pre-eminent 

The  diaeresis  (•)  placed  above  the  latter  vowel  in  such  words 
may  take  the  place  of  the  hyphen. 

cooperation  preeminent 

3.  The  hyphen  is  used  to  indicate  the  division  of  a  word  at  the 
end  of  a  Une.  It  must  be  remembered  that  words  of  one  syllable 
cannot  be  divided.  If  there  is  doubt  as  to  the  division  of  a  word 
of  more  than  one  syllable,  the  dictionary  should  be  consulted. 

con-so-la-tion  dis-re-gard 


352 


APPENDIX 


WORD   LISTS 

The  first  word  list  below  is  made  up  of  those  words,  difficult 
to  spell,  that  sift  through  the  lower  grades  into  the  last  year  of 
elementary  school  and  the  first  year  of  high  school. 

The  second  word  list  is  made  up  from  personal  and  business 
letters  and  is  used  here  by  permission  of  the  Russell  Sage  Founda- 
tion. 


TWO  HUNDRED 

SPELLING  "TERRORS" 

accept 

breathe 

dining 

friend 

accommodate 

built 

dinner 

garage 

accompany 

business 

disappear 

government 

accumulate 

busy 

disappoint 

grammar 

ache 

buy 

dissatisfy 

guess 

affect 

calendar 

divide 

half 

again 

can't 

doctor 

having 

all  right 

careless 

does 

hoarse 

already 

carrying 

done 

hoping 

always 

choose 

don't 

hopping 

among 

coming 

early 

hour 

angel 

committee 

easy 

immediately 

angle 

complement 

effect 

interest 

answer 

comphment 

eighth 

judgment 

any 

convenience 

enough 

just 

argument 

cough 

equal 

knew 

athletic 

could 

equation 

know 

barber 

country 

every 

laboratory 

bathe 

dear 

excel 

laid 

been 

debater 

excitable 

lead 

beginning 

describe 

famihar 

led 

believe 

destroy 

February 

letter 

benefit 

different 

field 

loose 

blue 

din 

finally 

lose 

break 

dine 

forty 

losing 

breath 

diner 

fourth 

making 

APPENDIX 

many 

precede 

shoes 

truly 

meant 

prejudice 

siege 

two 

minute 

preparation 

similar 

untie 

misspell 

prepare 

similarly 

until 

much 

pretty 

since 

village 

necessary 

principal 

some 

villain 

niece 

principle 

stationary 

weak 

ninety 

privilege 

stationery 

weather 

occasion 

proceed 

stopped 

Wednesday 

occurred 

professor 

straight 

weird 

odor 

quiet 

studying 

were 

often 

quite 

sugar 

where 

once 

raise 

sure 

whether 

parallel 

read 

tear 

which 

parliament 

receive 

their 

whole 

parlor 

recommend 

there 

whose 

pawn 

refer 

thorough 

women 

peace 

referred 

though 

won't 

perform 

said 

through 

would 

piece 

says 

tired 

write 

plain 

seems 

together 

writer 

plane 

seize 

to 

writing 

planed 

separate 

too 

written 

planned 

shepherd 

toward 

wrote 

353 


THE  RUSSELL  SAGE  FOUNDATION  LIST 

Compiled  by  Dr.  Leonard  P.~ Ayres 

The  Russell  Sage  Foundation  List  consists  of  the  words  which 
with  their  repetitions  constitute  seven  eighths  of  the  23,629  words 
tabulated  from  2000  business  and  personal  letters.  The  figure 
after  each  word  indicates  the  relative  frequency  with  which  it  was 
used. 


and 


697 
311 


as, 
at, 


241 
138 


are, 
am. 


130 

65 


2a 


354 


APPENDIX 


an 48 

also 46 

about 45 

all 41 

ask 23 

absence 22 

appoint 22. 

another 21 

afternoon 19 

allow 19 

again 19 

attend... 19 

arrange 18 

article 18 

away 17 

association 17 

ago 14 

appreciate 14 

August 14 

accept 14 

anything 14 

attention 14 

April 14 

account 10 

alone 8 

appear 8 

await 8 

application 7 

arrive 7 

assistance 7 

assure 7 

always 6 

among 6 

be 148 

by 101 


before 17 

because 12 

beg 12 

boy 10 

business 10 

baby 9 

back 9 

become 8 

bed 8 

box 8 

bad 7 

believe 7 

both 7 

building 7 

begin 6 

busy 6 

can 76 

could 38 

children 27 

call 20 

copy 20 

cent 19 

city 18 

cordially 15 

cover 14 

child 14 

check 14 

case 12 

class 12 

catalogue 12 

course 11 

certain 10 

convenient 10 

cold 9 

company 9 


contain 9 

center 8 

claim 8 

change 8 

cost 8 

country 8 

card 7 

cause 7 

Christmas 7 

consider 7 

chain 6 

committee 6 

convenience ....  6 

dear 380 

do 53 

day 39 

during 26 

doctor 24 

date 23 

did 22 

don't 20 

desire 18 

distribute 11 

December 10 

department ....  10 

does 9 

different 8 

done 8 

decide 7 

direction 7 

down 7 

develop 6 

direct 6 

enclose 82 

experience 17 


APPENDIX 


355 


enough 15 

expect 15 

education 14 

evening 14 

each 12 

early .12 

either 12 

earhest 11 

entitle 8 

else 8 

especially 8 

expense 8 

ever 7 

effort 6 

enjoy 6 

examination ....  6 

from 107 

find 58 

feel 26 

follow 25 

first 23 

friend 21 

Friday 17 

four 14 

favor 13 

forward 12 

February 11 

few 11 

fine 11 

felt 10 

factory 10 

fill 9 

father 9 

further 8 

fuUy 7 


form 6 

finally 6 

found 6 

gentleman 55 

good 47 

get 37 

go 34 

give 31 

great 29 

glass 23 

girl 20 

glad 20 

given 11 

general 10 

gold 9 

gave 7 

have 216 

has 65 

hope 56 

he 51 

had 41 

his 33 

her 31 

home 31 

him 21 

house 18 

how 18 

hear 17 

help 13 

hour 10 

hand 9 

hat 7 

hard 7 

heard 7 


hold 7 

half 6 

honor 6 

hospital 6 

1 1080 

it 197 

is 144 

interest 24 

information ....   22 

intend 15 

inform 13 

investigate 13 

iU 12 

importance 9 

inspect 8 

issue 7 

illustrate 6 

impossible 6 

instead 6 

just 30 

January 18 

July 15 

June 10 

kindly 58 

know 52 

kind 20 

keep 17 

kindness 11 

letter 61 

like 37 

let 36 

last 25 


356 


APPENDIX 


little 21 

list 20 

look 19 

love 17 

lady 12 

line 12 

leave 10 

late 8 

left 7 

lesson 7 

labor 6 

land 6 

least 6 

my 258 

me 203 

Miss 66 

may 52 

mail 44 

Mr 37 

madam 36 

make 29 

much 28 

money 24 

morning 24 

made 23 

most 23 

many 21 

Monday 21 

month 19 

matter 17 

medical 17 

meeting 17 

mother 15 

March 12 

May 10 


member 10 

mention 10 

measure 9 

must 9 

material 8 

move 8 

man 7 

mean 7 

meet 7 

mark 6 

men 6 

number 69 

now 37 

next 29 

no 24 

need 22 

new 21 

name 14 

necessary 12 

November 12 

night 11 

never 9 

nice 8 

nothing 7 

note 7 

news 6 

none 6 

of 511 

on 150 

once 105 

one 99 

or 59 

our 56 

oblige 52 


other 43 

order 40 

out 27 

over 19 

only 18 

office 17 

o'clock 13 

off 11 

October 10 

offer 9 

old 8 

out 7 

open 6 

please 182 

possible 36 

premium 25 

present 24 

picture 21 

people 18 

public 16 

paper 15 

plan 14 

pamphlet 12 

particular 11 

personal 11 

part 9 

pleasure 9 

place 9 

position 9 

post 9 

promise 8 

prompt 8 

publish 8 

panel 7 

pair 7 


APPENDIX 


357 


pass 7 

probably 7 

pretty 7 

paid 6 

person 6 

plain 6 

pleasant 6 

practical 6 

prefer 6 

president 6 

print 6 

private 6 

question 14 

quite 7 

receive 67 

respectfully ....  63 

return 38 

report 25 

reply 23 

room 16 

remain 14 

reason 13 

request 12 

receipt 10 

reach 9 

read 9 

recent 9 

representative . .  9 

rain 7 

ready 7 

remember 7 

right 7 

recommend ....  6 

red 6 


reference 6 

relative 6 

send 176 

sir 113 

so 82 

some 61 

sent 53 

school 51 

she 46 

soon 32 

see 31 

soap 27 

same 24 

size 24 

since 22 

stamp 22 

show 20 

state 19 

separate 18 

shaU 17 

subject 17 

say 16 

such 16 

Sunday 16 

sure 16 

September 13 

start 13 

study 13 

secretary 12 

shipment 12 

speak 12 

Saturday 11 

secure 11 

service 11 

sorry 11 


something 10 

small 9 

summer 9 

salary 8 

several 8 

street 8 

success 8 

second 8 

set 7 

short 7 

signature 7 

shde 7 

special 7 

stand 7 

still 7 

stop 7 

surprise 7 

saw 6 

select 6 

silver 6 

song 6 

splendid 6 

statement 6 

supply 6 

the .918 

to 627 

that 207 

this....       ....172 

truly 166 

thank 113 

they 53 

two 36 

teU 27 

think 27 

trust 27 


358 


APPENDIX 


thought 20 

Thursday 15 

Tuesday 13 

teacher 12 

today 10 

table 9 

talk 9 

though 9 

took 9 

ticket 7 

trouble 7 

towards 7 

try 7 

us 40 

under 37 

up 29 

use 23 

understand 18 

until 17 

used 10 

unfortunate ....  7 

upon 6 


very 246 

visit 7 

volume 7 

will 297 

with 255 

which 143 

was 79 

work 65 

what 53 

when 53 

who 53 

wish 43 

week 36 

were 34 

want 29 

where 24 

write 18 

well 16 

why 16 

way 14 

while 14 


willing 12 

written 12 

without 11 

Wednesday.  ...  10 

wear 8 

woman 8 

wrote 8 

weather 7 

wonder 7 

wait 6 

watch 6 

went 6 

west 6 

while 6 

whom 6 

world 6 

worth 6 

you 635 

your 585 

year 40 


REVIEW  OF  GRAMMAR 


THE  PARTS  OF  SPEECH  —  DEFINITIONS 

In  the  dictionary  words  are  considered  as  single  units.  The 
spelling,  the  meaning,  and  the  pronunciation  are  given  for  each 
word,  but  little  can  be  learned  from  the  dictionary  regarding  the 
relation  that  words  bear  to  one  another.  It  is  the  province  of 
grammar  to  treat  of  words  in  relation.  For  the  convenience  of 
this  study  and  in  order  that  errors  in  word  relationships  may  be 
easily  detected,  words  are  classed  according  to  their  use  into  eight 
divisions,  called  parts  of  speech. 


APPENDIX  359 

A  word  used  as  the  name  of  a  person,  a  place,  a  thing,  or  a  quality 
is  called  a  noun.  A  word  that  is  used  in  place  of,  or  as  a  substitute 
for,  a  noun  is  called  a  pronoun.  A  word  that  modifies  a  noun  or  a 
pronoun,  that  is,  explains  its  meaning,  is  called  an  adjective.  A 
word  that  makes  an  assertion,  usually  indicating  action,  is  called 
a  verb.  A  word  that  modifies  a  verb  is  called  an  adverb.  Adverbs 
also  modify  adjectives  and  other  adverbs.  A  word  that  connects 
and  shows  the  relation  between  one  part  of  speech  and  another  is 
called  a  preposition.  A  word  that  joins  or  groups  or  connects 
words  or  phrases  or  larger  units  of  expression  is  called  a  con- 
junction. A  word  used  to  express  strong  feeling  is  called  an 
interjection. 

Nouns  and  pronouns,  and  any  other  part  of  speech  or  word  groups 
used  like  them,  are  called  substantives.  Adjectives  and  adverbs 
are  called  modifiers.  Prepositions  and  conjunctions  are  called 
CONNECTIVES.  Nouns  and  verbs  are  the  most  important  parts  of 
speech.  The  other  parts  are  dependent  upon  them.  Children 
first  learning  to  talk  depend  almost  entirely  upon  nouns  and  verbs 
to  express  their  ideas.  Then,  as  the  power  of  speech  develops, 
they  are  able  to  define  the  meaning  of  their  language  more  closely 
by  the  use  of  modifiers.  A  very  learned  person  is  able  to  indicate 
extraordinary  shades  and  niceties  of  meaning  by  the  exact  and 
skillful  use  of  modifiers  with  his  nouns  and  verbs. 

THE  PARTS  OF  SPEECH  — KINDS 

There  are  two  groups  ^r  classifications  of  nouns :  proper  and 
COMMON ;  COLLECTIVE  and  ABSTRACT.  A  proper  noun  is  the  name 
of  some  particular  person,  place,  or  thing,  as,  Thomas,  Denver, 
Latin.  A  common  noun  is  the  name  of  a  class,  as,  —  man,  city, 
study.  Thomas  is  the  name  of  some  particular  person ;  man  applies 
to  many  persons.  A  collective  noun  is  the  name  of  a  group  or  a 
collection,  as,  —  army,  crowd,  flock,  herd.  An  abstract  noun  is  the 
name  of  a  quality,  as,  —  curiosity,  happiness,  virtue. 

There  are  four  general  classifications  of  pronouns:  personal, 
RELATIVE,  INTERROGATIVE,  ADJECTIVE.    A  personal  pronoun  is 


360  APPENDIX 

one  that  stands  for  a  person,  as,  —  he,  I,  it,  she,  they,  we,  you.  A 
relative  pronoun  is  one  that  establishes  a  relation  between  the  name 
of  a  person,  a  place,  or  a  thing  and  the  name  of  some  other  person, 
place,  or  thing.  It  also  sometimes  connects  and  sometimes  in- 
troduces. The  word  or  words  to  which  a  relative  pronoun  refers 
is  called  its  antecedent.  The  principal  relative  pronouns  are 
who,  which,  what,  and  that.  The  first  three  may  be  compounded 
with  ever  or  with  soever.  In  the  sentence  "John  is  the  boy  who 
took  my  book,"  who  is  a  relative  pronoun ;  its  antecedent  is  boy;  it 
introduces  the  thought  who  took  my  hook ;  it  connects  this  thought 
with  the  first,  John  is  the  hoy.  An  interrogative  pronoun  is  a  pro- 
noun used  to  ask  a  question.  The  principal  interrogatives  are 
who,  which,  and  what.  An  adjective  pronoun  is  one  that  may  some- 
times serve  as  an  adjective,  sometimes  as  a  pronoun.  It  possesses 
the  qualities  of  both  a  pronoun  and  an  adjective,  —  it  may  stand 
for  a  person,  a  place,  or  a  thing,  or  it  may  modify  the  meaning  of 
a  noun.  There  are  two  classes  of  adjective  pronouns:  Definite 
and  Indefinite.  This  and  that,  these  and  those  are  the  definite 
adjective  pronouns.  They  point  out  definitely;  they  are  some- 
times called  demonstrative  pronouns.  The  indefinite  adjective 
pronouns  do  not  point  out  particular  persons,  places,  or  things. 
They  are  as  frequently  adjectives  as  pronouns.  The  principal 
ones  are  all,  another,  any  one,  hoth,  each,  either,  every,  many,  neither, 
none,  one,  other,  several,  some,  such. 

There  are  two  classes  of  adjectives:  desckiptive  and  limiting. 
A  descriptive  adjective  denotes  some  particular  quality  of  the 
noun  or  pronoun  modified,  as,  —  heautiful,  gracious,  smooth,  weak. 
A  limiting  adjective  indicates  some  limitation  of  the  noun  or  pro- 
noun modified.  A  limiting  adjective  may  be  numeral,  as,  —  one, 
two,  three,  etc. ;  first,  second,  third,  etc.  It  may  be  definite,  like 
the  definite  adjective  pronouns,  as,  — former,  latter,  same,  that,  this. 
It  may  be  indefinite,  like  the  indefinite  adjective  pronouns,  as,  — 
any,  every,  few,  some.  It  may  be  interrogative,  as,  —  whose,  which, 
what,  —  Whose  hat?  What  news?  A,  an,  and  the  are  sometimes 
grouped  together  as  a  separate  part  of  speech  and  called  articles. 
The  is  a  definite  article;  a  and  an  are  indefinite  articles.    A   is 


APPENDIX  361 

used  before  consonant  sounds,  an  before  vowel  sounds.  Adjectives 
are  frequently  derived  from  nouns,  as,  —  A  manly  fellow.  When 
derived  from  proper  nouns  they  are  called  proper  adjectives,  as,  — 
A  Roman  law. 

There  are  three  classes  of  verbs:  transitive  and  intransitive, 
and  COPULATIVE.  A  transitive  verb  is  one  whose  action  passes 
over  to  a  receiver  of  the  action.  An  intransitive  verb  is  one  whose 
action  does  not  pass  over  to  a  receiver  of  the  action.  In  the  sen- 
tence "  John  struck  Bill,"  struck  is  a  transitive  verb  because  the 
action  it  denotes  passes  over  to  a  receiver  of  the  action,  Bill.  But 
in  "  The  cricket  chirps,"  chirps  is  an  intransitive  verb,  because 
the  action  does  not  pass  over  to  a  receiver  of  the  action.  A  copu- 
lative verb  is  a  verb  that  connects  a  word  or  a  group  of  words  with 
another  word  or  group  of  words  that  means  the  same  or  that  is 
explanatory.  Its  office  is  one  of  connection  as  well  as  assertion. 
It  requires  the  same  case  after  it  as  before  it.  The  principal  copu- 
latives are  am,  appear,  are,  be,  become,  can  be,  have  been,  is,  may 
be,  must  be,  seem,  was,  were.  In  He  is  the  man,  man  means  the  same 
as  He,  and  is  is  a  connective  or  copulative  verb.  It  is  sometimes 
called  copula  or  verb  of  incomplete  predication. 

Adverbs  are  classified,  first,  according  as  they  indicate  place, 
TIME,  MANNER,  DEGREE,  REASON,  that  is,  accordiug  as  they  tell 
where,  when,  how,  to  what  extent,  why.  The  following  adverbs 
illustrate  these  various  kinds  in  order :  —  there,  today,  cleverly, 
very,  because.  Adverbs  are  classified,  again,  according  to  their 
form :  a  simple  adverb  is  one  that  consists  of  but  one  word,  as,  — 
suddenly,  happily.  A  phrasal  adverb  is  one  that  consists  of  two  or 
more  words  used  as  one  adverb,  as,  —  arm  in  arm,  by  and  large,  now- 
adays, now  and  again.  Adverbs  are  frequently  used  to  connect 
while  indicating  at  the  same  time  place,  time,  manner,  degree, 
or  reason.  So  used,  they  are  called  conjunctive  adverbs  or  adver- 
bial conjunctions.  The  principal  adverbs  of  connection  are  as, 
because,  for,  how,  if,  since,  though,  when,  whenever,  where,  wherever, 
while.  In  "He  came  in  while  I  was  playing  the  piano,"  while 
indicates  time ;  it  also  connects  the  first  thought  of  the  sentence, 
He  came  in,  with  the  second,  /  was  playing  the  piano.    It  is  there^ 


362  APPENDIX 

fore  used  both  as  an  adverb  and  a  conjunction.  A  negative  adverb 
is  one  that  denotes  negation  or  opposition.  The  principal  nega- 
tive adverbs  are  not  and  never.  There  is  sometimes  called  an 
expletive  or  an  introductory  adverb.  Yes  and  no  are  sometimes 
called  responsive  adverbs. 

There  are  two  general  classes  of  conjunctions:  coordinate 
and  SUBORDINATE.  A  coordinate  conjunction  is  one  that  con- 
nects words  or  groups  of  words  of  equal  rank.  The  principal  co- 
ordinates are  and,  hut,  either — or,  neither — nor,  not  only — hut  also. 
The  last  three  named  are  called  correlatives  because  they  usually 
occur  in  pairs.  A  subordinate  conjimction  is  one  that  connects 
word  groups  of  unequal  rank.  The  principal  subordinates  are 
hecause,  except,  if,  since,  than,  though,  unless,  while,  when,  where, 
and  the  other  conjunctive  adverbs  named  above.  Subordinate 
conjunctions  that  consist  of  more  than  one  word  are  called  phrasal 
subordinates,  as,  —  in  order  that,  as  soon  as,  as  though. 

There  are  three  general  classes  of  prepositions:  simple,  com- 
pound or  DERIVED,  and  phrasal.  A  simple  preposition  consists  of 
but  a  single  word,  as,  —  after,  against,  at,  by,  for,  from,  in,  of,  on,  over, 
through,  to,  with.  A  compound  or  derived  preposition  is  one  that 
consists  of  two  or  more  words  long  used  as  one  or  made  up  from 
other  parts  of  speech,  as,  —  across,  concerning,  into,  notwithstanding, 
underneath,  without.  A  phrasal  preposition  is  one  that  consists 
of  two  or  more  separate  words  used  to  establish  one  relation,  as,  — 
for  the  sake  of,  in  spite  of,  instead  of,  on  account  of,  out  of. 

There  are  two  classes  of  interjections:  simple  and  phrasal. 
A  simple  interjection  consists  of  but  a  single  word,  as,  —  Alas ! 
Hush!  Ugh!  A  phrasal  interjection  consists  of  more  than  one 
word,  as,  —  At  last !    Dear  7ne !    Forgive  me  ! 

THE  PARTS  OF  SPEECH  — FORMS 

The  parts  of  speech  undergo  changes  or  inflections  in  order  that 
ideas  and  the  relations  among  them  may  be  expressed  more  accu- 
rately. The  changes  or  inflections  of  nouns  and  pronouns  are  called 
person,  number,  gender,  case.    The  inflections  of  verbs  are  called 


APPENDIX  363 

voice,  mood,  tense,  number,  person.  The  inflection  of  adjec- 
tives or  adverbs  is  called  comparison,  —  the  positive,  comparative, 
and  superlative  degrees  of  comparison.  Prepositions,  conjunctions, 
and  interjections  are  not  inflected.  English  words  used  to  be 
much  more  highly  inflected  than  now.  As  language  grows  and 
develops  it  tends  to  simplify  its  forms.  Nouns,  for  instance,  were 
formerly  inflected  to  indicate  person,  but  they  have  outgrown  this 
inflection.  They  used  to  have  four  different  case  forms;  now 
they  have  but  two. 

The  Inflection  of  Nouns  and  Pronouns 

Person  indicates  whether  the  person  speaking,  the  person  spoken 
to,  or  the  person  spoken  of,  is  indicated  by  a  noun  or  a  pronoun,  — 
the  first  person,  the  second  person,  and  the  third  person,  respec- 
tively. 

Number  indicates  one  or  more  than  one.  The  singular  number 
means  one ;  the  plural  number,  more  than  one.  Most  nouns  form 
their  plurals  by  adding  s  to  the  singular,  as,  —  boy,  boys;  view,  views. 
Nouns  ending  in  a  soft  sound,  such  as  ch,  j,  s,  sh,  x,  z,  form  their 
plurals  by  adding  es  to  the  singular,  as,  —  church,  churches;  fish, 
fishes;   annex,  annexes. 

Most  nouns  ending  in  o  preceded  by  a  consonant  form  their 
plurals  by  adding  es  to  the  singular,  as,  —  potato,  potatoes;  cargo, 
cargoes;  grotto,  grottoes;  echo,  echoes.  Most  nouns  ending  in  o 
preceded  by  a  vowel  form  their  plurals  by  adding  s  to  the  singular, 
as,  —  folio,  folios;  cameo,  cameos.  It  must  be  remembered  that 
there  are  many  exceptions  to  the  final  o  rule,  as,  —  solos,  autos, 
halos,  pianos,  Eskimos,  sopranos. 

Nouns  ending  in  y  preceded  by  a  consonant  form  their  plurals 
by  changing  the  y  toi  and  adding  es,  as,  —  country,  countries;  cry, 
cries;  enemy,  enemies.  Nouns  ending  in  y  preceded  by  a  vowel 
form  their  plurals  in  the  regular  way,  by  the  addition  of  s,  as,  — 
days,  plays,  monkeys,  turkeys. 

Some  nouns  ending  in  /  or  fe  form  their  plurals  by  changing  /  to 
V  and  adding  es,  as, — calf,  calves;  leaf,  leaves;  loaf,  loaves;  half, 
halves ;  staff,  staves  (sticks) ;  wife,  wives.    It  must  be  remembered. that 


364  APPENDIX 

there  are  certain  exceptions  to  this  rule,  as,  —  hoofs,  scarfs,  staffs 
(officers) . 

The  plural  of  certain  nouns  is  indicated  by  an  internal  change,  or 
by  other  changes,  not  easily  classified,  as, — foot,  feet;  goose,  geese; 
man,  men;  mouse,  mice;  child,  children;  ox,  oxen;  woman,  women. 

Certain  foreign  nouns  retain  their  foreign  plurals,  others  adopt 
the  English  plural  formation,  still  others  form  their  plurals  in  either 
way,  as,  — focus,  foci;  ultimatum,  ultimata;  medium,  mediums  {media 
is  going  out  of  use) ;  memorandum,  memorandums  {memoranda  is 
going  out  of  use) ;  index,  indexes  or  indices;  vortex,  vortexes  or  vor- 
tices. 

The  plural  of  compound  words  is  formed  regularly,  as,  —  cupful^ 
cupfuls;  handful,  handfuls.  The  plural  of  hyphenated  words  is 
usually  formed  by  adding  s  to  the  most  important  member  of  the 
combination,  as,  —  sons-in-law,  waste-baskets,  courts-martial,  ser- 
geants-at-arms. 

Gender  indicates  sex.  Masculine  gender  means  male ;  feminine 
gender,  female ;  neuter  gender,  no  sex,  as,  —  book,  tool;  common 
gender,  either  male  or  female,  as,  —  child,  flock,  herd. 

Certain  nouns  indicate  masculine  and  feminine  gender  by  differ- 
ent words,  as,  —  man,  woman;  boy,  girl;  beau,  belle;  drake,  duck; 
son-in-law,  daughter-in-law.  Certain  other  nouns  indicate  the 
feminine  gender  by  means  of  making  a  terminal  change  in  the  mas- 
culine form,  as,  —  count,  countess;  patron,  patroness;  waiter,  waitress; 
hero,  heroine;  executor,  executrix. 

Case  indicates  the  relation  of  a  noun  or  a  pronoun  in  regard  to 
verbs  and  prepositions.  The  nominative  case  denotes  that  a  noun 
or  a  pronoun  may  be  used  as  subject  of  a  sentence,  as  predicate 
nominative,  as  nominative  of  exclamation,  as  nominative  absolute, 
as  nominative  by  direct  address,  and  as  appositive  or  in  apposition 
with  a  noun  or  a  pronoun  in  the  nominative  case. 

The  objective  case  denotes  that  a  noun  or  a  pronoun  may  be 
used  as  object  of  a  verb,  as  indirect  object,  as  objective  comple- 
ment, as  object  of  a  preposition,  as  adverbial  objective,  as  subject 
of  an  infinitive,  and  as  appositive  or  in  apposition  with  a  noun  or 
pronoun  in  the  objective  case. 


APPENDIX 


365 


The  possessive  case  denotes  possession.  The  possessive  oi 
singular  nouns  is  formed  by  adding  's,  as,  —  The  boy's  hat.  The 
possessive  of  plural  nouns  ending  in  s  is  formed  by  adding  the  apos- 
trophe only,  as,  —  The  girls'  hats.  The  possessive  of  plural  nouns 
not  ending  in  s  is  formed  by  adding  the  's,  as,  —  Men's  suits. 
Women's  dresses.     The  people's  vote. 

If  the  singular  form  of  a  noun  ends 'in  s  or  a;  it  is  permissible  to  use 
the  apostrophe  without  the  s  in  indicating  the  possessive  case,  in 
order  to  avoid  an  awkward  hissing  sound,  as,  —  Dickens'  works. 
For  goodness"  sake.     The  Earl  of  Sussex'  death. 

The  sign  of  possession  is  always  placed  nearest  to  the  name  of 
the  thing  possessed.  In  a  series  of  words  and  in  hyphenated  words 
it  is  indicated  on  the  last,  as,  —  My  father-in-law's  business.  My 
brother  and  sister's  marks. 

A  pronoun  must  agree  with  its  antecedent  in  person,  number, 
and  gender.  All  of  the  inflections  of  personal  pronouns  are  indi- 
cated in  the  following  table.  Such  an  arrangement  or  table  is 
called  a  declension.  When  you  give  in  order  all  the  inflections  of 
a  noun  or  a  pronoun,  you  are  said  to  decline  it. 


First  Person 

NOMINATIVE  CASE  *.    I 

my  or 
mine 
me 


POSSESSIVE  CASE  : 


OBJECTIVE  CASE 


SINGULAR 

Second  Person 
you  thou 


your  or 
yours 
you 


thy  or 

thine 
thee 


Third  Person 
he,  she,' it 
his,  her,  or  hers, 

its 
him,  her,  it 


PLURAL 


NOMINATIVE   CASE: 

POSSESSIVE  case: 

OBJECTIVE   case: 


First  Person 

we 

our  or  ours 

us 


Second  Person 

you 

your  or  yours 

you 


Third  Person 

they 

their  or  theirs 

them 


The  relative  pronoun  who  is  declined  as  follows  in  both  numbers 
for  all  persons :  — 


366  APPENDIX 

NOMINATIVE   CASE:      who 

POSSESSIVE  case:      whose 
OBJECTIVE  case:       whom 

That  and  which  are  not  inflected.  Whose  is  sometimes  given  as 
the  possessive  of  which,  but  it  should  be  used  rarely.  The  phrase 
of  which  should  be  used  to  denote  possession  in  relation  to  animals 
and  things,  unless  they  are  personified,  in  which  case  who  may  be 
used. 

The  Inflection  of  Adjectives  and  Adverbs 

The  positive  degree  denotes  the  simple,  uncompared  form  of 
an  adjective  and  an  adverb.  The  comparative  degree  denotes 
the  comparison  of  two  persons,  places,  or  things.  The  superlative 
degree  denotes  the  comparison  of  three  or  more  persons,  places, 
or  things.  The  simpler  adjectives  and  adverbs,  those  of  one  or 
two  syllables,  form  the  comparative  degree  by  adding  r  or  er  to 
the  positive,  and  the  superlative  by  adding  st  or  est  to  the  positive. 
Longer  adjectives  and  adverbs,  those  of  three  syllables  or  more, 
to  which  these  suffixes  cannot  be  added  easily,  form  the  compara- 
tive by  using  the  word  more,  the  superlative  by  using  the  word  most. 


Positive 

Comparative 

Superlative 

beautiful 

more  beautiful 

most  beautiful 

happy 

happier 

happiest 

sincerely 

more  sincerely 

most  sincerely 

soon 

sooner 

soonest 

Certain  adjectives  and  adverbs  do  not  admit  of  comparison,  as,  — 
dead,  octagonal,  squarely,  unique,  universally.  The  following  irreg- 
ular comparisons  should  be  studied :  — 

Superlaiive 

worst 

farthest 


Positive 

Comparative 

bad 

evil 

worse 

ill 

far 

farther 

APPENDIX 


367 


Positive 
fore 
forth 
hind 

in 

late 

little 
many 
much 
near 

nigh 
old 
out 
up 


Comparative 
former 
further 
hinder 

inner 

J  later 
\  latter 
•  less 

more 

nearer 

nigher 

r  older 
I  elder 
j  outer 
\  utter 

upper 


Superlative 
j  foremost 
I  first 

furthest 
r  hindmost 
1  hindermost 
( inmost 
I  innermost 
j  latest 
I  last 

least 

most 

nearest 
j  nighest 
Inext 
r  oldest 
I  eldest 

j  outmost  or  outermost 
I  utmost  or  uttermost 
j  upmost 
1  uppermost 


The  Inflection  of  Verbs 

Voice  denotes  whether  the  subject  of  a  verb  is  acting  or  acted 
upon.  Active  voice  represents  the  subject  as  acting,  as,  —  He 
struck  the  man.  Passive  voice  represents  the  subject  as  acted 
upon,  as,  —  He  was  struck  by  the  man. 

Mood  denotes  the  manner  of  assertion  made  by  a  verb.  The 
indicative  mood  is  used  for  simple  declarative  or  interrogative 
expressions,  as,  — I  go.  Is  he  well  f  The  subjunctive  mood  is  used 
for  the  expression  of  a  wish,  a  doubt,  a  fear,  a  supposition,  a  condi- 
tion. It  is  usually  preceded  by  if,  as,  —  If  I  were  you  I  would  go. 
The  potential  mood  is  used  for  the  expression  of  probability, 
possibility,  ability,  obligation,  necessity.    May,  can,  must,  might, 


368  APPENDIX 

could,  would,  should  are  signs  of  the  potential,  as,  —  I  may  go. 
He  must  come.  I  could  do  it.  When  these  words  are  used  to  ex- 
press desire,  doubt,  fear,  supposition,  condition,  they  are  signs  of  sub- 
junctive mood.  The  imperative  mood  is  used  for  the  expression 
of  command  or  entreaty.  The  subject  of  an  imperative  verb  is 
in  the  second  person  and  it  is  usually  understood. 

Tense  denotes  the  time  of  action  expressed  by  a  verb.  The 
present  tense  denotes  present  time,  as,  —  /  walk.  He  runs.  The 
past  or  imperfect  tense  denotes  past  time,  as,  — /  walked.  He  ran. 
(A  verb  that  forms  its  past  tense  by  the  addition  of  dor  edis  called 
regular  or  weak,  as,  —  walked.  A  verb  that  forms  its  past  tense  by 
means  of  some  internal  change  is  called  irregular  or  strong,  as,  — 
ran.)  The  future  tense  denotes  future  time,  as,  — /  shall  walk.  He 
will  run.  (To  denote  simple  future  time,  shall  is  used  in  the  first 
person,  and  will  in  the  second  and  third.  To  denote  determination, 
resolution,  threatening,  or  consenting,  willis  used  in  the  first  person, 
and  shall  in  the  second  and  third.  In  asking  a  question  shall  is 
always  used  with  the  first  person.  With  the  second  and  third 
persons,  shall  should  be  used  in  asking  a  question  if  shall  is  expected 
in  the  answer ;  mil,  if  will  is  expected  in  the  answer,  as,  —  Will  you 
go?  I  will.  Shall  they  be  admitted  f  They  shall.  Should  and 
would  follow  the  rules  for  shall  and  will.)  The  perfect  or  present 
perfect  tense  denotes  action  as  completed  at  the  present  time, 
as,  —  /  have  walked.  He  has  walked.  Tht  pluperfect  or  past 
perfect  tense  denotes  action  as  completed  in  past  time,  as,  — 
/  had  walked.  He  had  run.  The  future  perfect  tense  denotes 
action  that  is  to  be  completed  at  some  future  time,  as,  —  /  shall 
have  walked.  He  will  have  run.  Note  that  in  forming  the  future, 
perfect,  pluperfect,  and  future  perfect  tenses,  more  than  one  verb  is 
necessary  to  indicate  the  time  of  the  action  definitely.  The  last 
verb  in  the  combination  is  called  the  principal  or  notional  verb; 
the  verb  (or  verbs)  preceding  it,  the  auxiliary  or  helping  verb. 
Shall  and  will  are  the  auxiliaries  of  the  future  tense;  have,  of  the 
present  perfect;  had,  of  the  past  perfect;  shall  and  will  and  have  of 
the  future  perfect. 

The  infinitive  is  a  verbal  form  that  names  or  denotes  action  but 


APPENDIX  369 

does  not  assert  it.  It  may  be  used  as  a  noun,  as  an  adjective,  or 
as  an  adverb.  The  infinitive  form  of  the  verb  is  always  preceded 
by  to,  as,  —  to  walk,  to  run,  to  see.  The  infinitive  should  not  be  split 
by  placing  a  word  between  to  and  the  verb.  To  sit  quietly  is  correct; 
to  quietly  sit,  incorrect.  To  is  sometimes  understood  before  the 
infinitive  when  used  after  the  verbs  make,  please,  let,  bid,  need,  dare, 
feel,  have,  keep,  see,  as,  —  help  him  {to)  do  it.  See  them  (to)  play. 
Please  (to)  close  the  door.  The  infinitive  thus  formed  is  called 
elliptical.  The  infinitive  has  two  tenses  only,  the  present  and  the 
perfect,   as,  — 

Active  Passive 

PRESENT :    to  love  to  be  loved 

PERFECT :    to  have  loved  to  have  been  loved 

The  gerund  is  a  verbal  form  ending  in  ing,  that  names  or  denotes 
action  but  does  not  assert  it.  It  is  therefore  similar  to  the  infini- 
tive, the  suffix  ing  taking  the  place  of  to.  The  gerund  is  used  as 
a  noun,  as,  —  Running  is  good  exercise.  I  like  walking.  It  is  some- 
times, though  rarely,  used  as  an  adjective  or  an  adverb,  as,  —  Prac- 
ticing hours  are  precious.  They  went  picnicking.  It  may  be  modi- 
fied by  an  adverb,  as,  —  Eating  too  rapidly  is  dangerous.  It  may 
take  an  object,  as,  —  They  enjoy  studying  their  lessons.  The  gerund 
is  sometimes  used  as  an  almost  pure  noun.  As  such  it  may  not 
take  an  object  and  it  may  be  modified  by  an  adjective  or  a  pronoun. 
In  this  use  it  is  called  a  verbal  noun,  —  His  wonderful  playing  moved 
them.    I  liked  his  reading. 

The  participle  is  a  verbal  form  ending  in  ing  that  names  or  de- 
notes action  but  does  not  assert  it.  It  is  similar  to  both  the  infini- 
tive and  the  gerund.  It  is  used,  like  an  adjective,  to  modify  a 
noun  or  a  pronoun,  as,  —  Running  through  the  passage,  John  fell. 
The  car,  decorated  with  flowers,  began  to  move.  The  voices  and 
tenses  of  gerunds  and  participles  are  as  follows :  — 


Active 

Passive 

PRESENT  : 
PAST  : 

loving 
loved 

being  loved 
loved 

PERFECT : 

2b 

having  loved 

having  been  loved 

370 


APPENDIX 


The  person  and  number  of  a  verb  are  the  same  as  the  person  and 
number  of  its  subject.  It  should  be  noted  that  verbs  in  the  third 
person  singular  of  the  present  and  perfect  tenses  have  a  special 
inflection.  This  special  inflection  for  verbs  ending  in  y  follows  the 
rule  for  the  formation  of  the  plural  of  nouns  ending  in  y  (page  363). 
Infinitives,  gerunds,  and  participles  have  no  person  and  number. 

The  conjugation  of  the  verb  is  the  orderly  statement  of  all  its 
forms  to  show  voice,  mood,  tense,  number,  and  person. 

A  synopsis  of  the  verb  is  the  statement  of  one  person  and  number, 
or  of  one  person  and  both  numbers,  in  every  tense  of  the  conjuga- 
tion. There  are  three  conjugations  of  the  English  verb:  Simple, 
Emphatic,  Progressive.  The  simple  conjugation  asserts  action 
as  complete.  It  can  be  formed  in  all  moods  and  tenses,  in  both 
voices.  The  following  is  a  synopsis  in  the  simple  conjugation,  third 
person,  singular,  active  of  the  verb  love:  — 


Indicative  Mood 

Svhjunctive  Mood 

PRESENT : 

He  loves 

If  he  love 

past: 

He  loved 

If  he  loved 

FUTURE : 

He  will  love 

If  he  will  love 

PERFECT : 

He  has  loved 

If  he  have  loved 

PAST  perfect: 

He  had  loved 

If  he  had  loved 

FUTURE  PERFECT :    He  will  have  loved 

If  he  will  have  loved 

Potential  Mood 

Imperative  Mood 

PRESENT : 

He  may  love 

None  in  third  person 

past: 

He  might  love 

Second     person   ^  present 

PERFECT : 

He  may  have  loved 

would  be  —  Love  (you) 

PAST  perfect: 

He  might  have  loved 

Infinitives 

Participles 

PRESENT : 

to  love 

present:  loving 

PERFECT : 

to  have  loved 

PAST :         loved 
perfect  :  having  loved 

The  passive  voice  of  the  simple  conjugation  is  formed  by  adding 
the  past  participle  to  every  form  of  the  verb  6e,  — 


APPENDIX 


371- 


PRESENT : 

past: 

FUTURE : 
PERFECT : 
PLUPERFECT : 
FUTURE  perfect: 


Indicative  Mood 
I  am  loved 
I  was  loved 
I  shall  be  loved 
I  have  been  loved 
I  had  been  loved 
I  shall  have  been  loved 


The  emphatic  conjugation  emphasizes  the  assertion  of  action 
by  means  of  the  auxiUary  verb  do.  The  emphatic  conjugation 
occurs  only  in  the  present  and  past  tenses,  indicative  mood,  active 
voice,  — 


Present 
I  do  walk  We  do  walk 

You  do  walk     You  do  walk 
He  does  walk    They  do  walk 


Past 
I  did  walk  We  did  walk 

You  did  walk    You  did  walk 
He  did  walk      They  did  walk 


The  progressive  conjugation  asserts  action  as  continuing  or  pro- 
gressing. It  is  formed  by  adding  the  present  participle  to  every 
form  of  the  verb  be,  — 

Indicative  Mood 


present  :  I  am  walking 
PAST :         I  was  walking 


perfect:  I      have      been 

walking 
pluperfect  :  I  had  been  walk- 

ing 

FUTURE :    I  shall  be  walking      future  perfect  :     I  shall  have  been 

walking 
The  parts  of  a  verb  are  the  present  and  past  tenses  indicative, 
and  the  present  and  past  participles,  — 

Present  Indicative  Past  Indicative  Present  Participle  Past  Participle 


awake 

awoke 

awaking 

awaked 

begin 

began 

beginning 

begun 

break 

broke 

breaking 

broken 

burst 

burst 

bursting 

burst 

choose 

chose 

choosing 

chosen 

come 

came 

coming 

come 

372                                      APPENDIX 

Present  Indicative  Past  Indicative  Present  Participle  PastPartici 

destroy               destroyed 

destroying 

destroyed 

dive                   dived 

diving 

dived 

do                       did 

doing 

done 

drink                  drank 

drinking 

drunk 

eat                     ate 

eating 

eaten 

fly                     flew; 

flying 

flown 

get                     got 

getting 

got 

go                       went 

going 

gone 

lay                     laid 

laying 

laid 

lie                       lay 

lying 

lain 

lie                      lied 

lying 

lied 

prove                  proved 

proving 

proved 

ride                     rode 

riding 

ridden 

raise                   raised 

raising 

raised 

rise                     rose 

rising 

risen 

see                     saw 

seeing 

seen 

shake                 shook 

shaking 

shaken 

sing                    sang 

suiging 

sung 

sit                       sat 

sitting 

sat 

speak                 spoke 

speaking 

spoken 

steal                   stole 

stealing 

stolen 

swim                   swam 

swimming 

swum 

take                   took 

taking 

taken 

wake                   woke 

waking 

waked 

write                   wrote 

writing 

written 

A  defective  verb  is  one  for  which  all  these  parts  cannot  be  given, 

Present  Indicative  Past  Itidicative  Present  Participle  Past  Participle 
beware  


can 

may 

must 

ought 

shall 

wiU 


could 
might 


APPENDIX  373 

A  redundant  verb  is  one  that  has  more  than  one  form  for  any- 
one of  these  parts,  — 


Pres.  Ind. 

Past  Ind. 

Pres.  Part.                  Past  Part 

light 

flighted 

\lit 

lighting 

lighted 
lit 

sUp 

1 sUpped 
[slipt 

sHpping 

slipped 
slipt 

stay 

1  stayed 
{ staid 

staying 

'  stayed 

staid 

speak 

spoke 
spake 

speaking 

spoken 

SYNTAX,  ANALYSIS,  PARSING 

When  the  parts  of  speech  —  all  or  some  of  them  —  are  so  grouped 
and  related  as  to  express  a  complete  thought,  they  make  a  sentence. 
(The  different  kinds  of  sentences  are  defined  and  classified  on  pages 
138-141.)  The  principal  parts  of  a  sentence  are  the  subject  and  the 
predicate.  The  subject  of  a  sentence  is  that  about  which  something 
is  asserted.  The  predicate  of  a  sentence  is  that  which  asserts  some- 
thing about  the  subject.  The  subject  is  always  a  noun  or  a  pro- 
noun or  a  word  group  used  as  a  noun  or  a  pronoun,  and  it  is  always 
in  the  nominative  case.  The  predicate  is  always  a  verb.  The 
simple  svbject  is  the  word  that  is  used  as  subject;  the  complete 
subject  is  this  word  with  all  of  its  modifiers.  The  simple  predicate 
is  the  verb  that  asserts  the  action;  the  complete  predicate  is  this 
verb  with  all  its  modifiers  and  complements. 

A  phrase  is  a  group  of  words  having  neither  subject  nor  predi- 
cate, denoting  but  a  single  idea,  and  not  making  complete  sense. 

A  clause  is  a  group  of  words  having  a  subject  and  a  predicate 
and  forming  a  part  of  a  sentence.  If  it  makes  complete  sense,  it  is 
called  an  independent  clause.  If  it  does  not  make  complete  sense 
but  depends  upon  another  clause  for  completeness,  it  is  called  a 
dependent  clause.  Phrases  and  dependent  clauses  may  be  used  as 
nouns,  adjectives,  and  adverbs. 

Syntax  means  the  grammatical  relation  of  a  word,  a  phrase,  or 
a  clause  to  another  word  or  other  words  in  a  sentence.     The  word 


374  APPENDIX 

construction  is  sometimes  used  in  the  same  sense.  There  are  cer- 
tain relations  among  words,  phrases,  and  clauses  as  they  are  used  in 
sentences,  that  need  to  be  understood  before  the  syntax  can  be  given. 

A  complement  is  a  word,  a  phrase,  or  a  clause  that  completes 
the  combined  meanings  of  the  subject  and  the  predicate.  The 
object  of  a  verb,  sometimes  called  the  object  complement  and  also 
the  direct  object,  completes  the  predicate  and  receives  the  action 
from  it.  It  is  always  in  the  objective  case.  It  may  be  a  noun  or 
a  pronoun,  a  phrase  or  a  clause.  The  object  of  a  verb  in  the  passive 
voice  is  called  the  retained  object,  as,  —  "  He  was  given  the  position 
of  secretary."  The  indirect  object,  sometimes  called  dative  object 
or  object  of  a  preposition  understood,  points  out  to  or  for  whom  or 
what  an  act  is  done.  It  may  be  a  noun  or  a  pronoun,  it  is  always 
in  the  objective  case,  and  the  preposition  to  or  for  is  always  under- 
stood before  it.  It  occurs  most  frequently  after  the  verbs  asked, 
bring,  build,  give,  go,  lend,  let,  make,  offer,  pay,  please,  sell,  teach,  win. 
The  predicate  nominative  or  predicate  adjective,  sometimes 
called  subjective  or  attribute  complement,  completes  the  predicate 
and  describes  or  explains  the  subject.  It  may  be  a  noun,  a  pro- 
noun, an  adjective,  or  a  phrase  or  a  clause.  It  may  be  called  predi- 
cate noun,  predicate  pronoun,  or  predicate  adjective.  The  predicate 
noun  or  pronoun  is  always  in  the  nominative  case.  The  objective 
complement,  sometimes  called  factitive  object,  completes  the  predi- 
cate and  describes  or  explains  the  object.  It  is  always  in  the  ob- 
jective case.  It  may  be  a  noun,  a  pronoun,  an  adjective,  a  phrase 
or  a  clause.  A  noun  or  a  pronoun  used  as  objective  complement 
is  always  in  the  objective  case,  as,  —  "  They  made  John  president.^' 

A  modifier  in  a  sentence  is  a  subordinate  word,  phrase,  or  clause 
that  describes,  defines,  or  limits  other  parts,  such  as  the  simple 
subject,  the  simple  predicate,  the  simple  object,  and  so  forth. 
Word  modifiers  consist  of  adjectives,  adverbs,  pronouns  in  the 
possessive  case,  and  participles.  Phrasal  modifiers  consist  of  prep- 
ositional, infinitive,  and  participial  phrases.  Clausal  modifiers 
consist  of  adjective  and  adverbial  clauses.  A  noun,  a  pronoun, 
a  gerund,  a  phrase,  or  a  clause  may  be  used  as  object  of  a  preposi- 
tion, and,  so  used,  may  be  a  phrasal  modifier. 


APPENDIX  375 

A  noun  indicating  measure,  distance,  direction,  space,  time,  value 
is  called  adverbial  objective  or  a  noun  used  adverbially.  It  is  in 
the  objective  case,  with  a  preposition  understood  before  it,  and 
modifies  a  verb,  as,  —  "  He  walked  a  mile."     *'  I  went  home.'' 

A  noun  modified  by  a  participle  and  not  connected  with  any  other 
part  of  a  sentence  is  called  a  nominative  absolute  or  absolute 
nominative,  as,  —  "  The  train  having  come,  they  departed." 

A  word  used  for  direct  address  is  called  nominative  by  direct 
address  or  independent  by  direct  address  or  vocative,  as,  —  "  John^ 
where  are  you  going?  " 

A  word  used  in  an  exclamatory  way  is  called  nominative  of  ex- 
clamation or  nominative  independent,  as,  —  ''A  horse!  A  horse! 
My  kingdom  for  a  horse!  " 

A  noun  meaning  the  same  as  another  noun  and  used  with  it,  is 
called  a  noim  in  apposition  or  appositive  noun,  as,  —  "  Larkins,  the 
lecturer,  has  just  arrived."  A  noun  or  pronoun  in  apposition  is 
always  in  the  same  case  as  the  noun  or  pronoun  it  explains. 

In  giving  the  syntax  of  a  noun  or  a  pronoun,  the  case  and  the 
reason  for  the  case  should  be  given.  In  giving  the  syntax  of  an 
adjective  or  an  adverb,  the  word  modified  should  be  stated.  In 
giving  the  syntax  of  a  verb,  the  subject  (noun,  pronoun,  phrase,  or 
clause),  the  complement  (if  any),  and  the  number  and  person  should 
be  stated.  In  giving  the  syntax  of  a  phrase  or  a  clause,  the  state- 
ment should  follow  the  form  for  the  noun,  the  adjective,  or  the 
adverb  whose  office  it  fills.  In  giving  the  syntax  of  a  preposition, 
the  words  between  which  the  relation  is  shown  should  be  pointed 
out.  In  giving  the  syntax  of  a  conjunction,  the  kind  of  connection 
the  conjunction  makes  should  be  stated. 

Sentence  analysis  means  the  examination  of  the  various  parts 
of  which  a  sentence  is  composed  and  the  explanation  of  the 
grammatical  connection  among  those  parts.  In  analyzing  a 
sentence,  — 

1.  Tell  what  kind  it  is:  simple,  compound,  complex;  declara- 
tive, interrogative,  exclamatory,  imperative. 

2.  Separate,  define,  and  relate  the  various  clauses  in  it  (pro- 
vided it  is  not  a  simple  sentence). 


376 


APPENDIX 


3.  Point  out  subject,  predicate,  complements,  simple  and 
complete.  If  the  sentence  contains  clauses,  point  out  subject, 
predicate,  and  complements  of  each. 

4.  Explain  and  relate  the  various  word  modifiers  in  the  sen- 
tence. 

5.  Separate,  define,  and  relate  the  various  phrasal  modifiers 
in  it. 

Parsing  means  the  statement  in  tabulated  order  of  the  classi- 
fication and  the  forms  of  the  part  of  speech  parsed.  In  parsing 
nouns  and  pronouns,  state  kind,  person,  number,  gender.  In 
parsing  adjectives  and  adverbs,  state  kind  and  degrees  of  compari- 
son. In  parsing  verbs,  state  voice,  mood,  tense,  number,  person, 
and  tell  whether  regular  or  irregular,  principal  or  auxiliary,  transi- 
tive or  intransitive. 

In  the  study  of  the  common  errors  listed  on  pages  299  to  302, 
Chapter  V,  it  will  be  helpful  for  the  pupil  to  identify  each  error  with 
the  grammatical  rule  that  covers  it. 

The  following  diagrams  may  be  helpful  in  reviewing  the  rules 
and  explanations  given  above  :  — 


Nouns 


Kinds 

Forms 

Uses 

Proper 

Number 

Subject 

Common 

Singular 

Predicate  nominative 

Collective 

Plural 

Nominative  absolute 

Abstract 

Gender 

Nominative  by  direct  address 

Masculine 

Nominative  of  exclamation 

Feminine 

Noun  in  apposition 

Neuter 

Object  of  verb 

Common 

Objective  complement 

Case 

Indirect  object 

Nominative 

Adverbial  objective 

Objective 

Object  of  preposition 

Possessive 

Subject  of  infinitive 
Modifier  in  possessive  case 

APPENDIX 

377 

Pronouns 

Kinds 

Forms                           Uses 

Personal 

Person                          Subject 

Relative 

First                          Predicate  nominative 

Interrogative 

Second                       Nominative  absolute 

Adjective 

Third                         Nominative  by  direct  address 

Definite 

Number                        Nominative  of  exclamation 

Indefinite 

Singular                    Noun  i 

n  apposition 

Plural                        Object  of  verb 

Gender                          Objective  complement 

Masculine                 Indirect  object 

Feminine                   Object  of  preposition 

Neuter                      Subject  of  infinitive 

Common                   Modifier  in  possessive  case 

Case 

Nominative 

Objective 

Possessive 

Adjectives 

Kinds 

Forms 

Uses 

Descriptive 

Comparison 

Modifier  of  noun 

Limiting 

Positive  degree 

Modifier  of  pronoun 

Numeral 

Comparative  degree 

Modifier  of  word  group 

Definite 

Superlative  degree 

used    as  a  noun  or 

Indefinite 

pronoun 

(Articles) 

Certain     definite 

Predicate  adjective 

Proper 

and    indefinite 

Person 

Number 

Gender 

adjectives, 
sometimes  used 
as  pronouns,  are 
inflected  for  per- 

* 

son,     number, 
and  gender. 

378 


APPENDIX 


Verbs 


Kinds 
Transitive 
Intransitive 
Copulative 


Forms 
Voice 
Active 
Passive 
Mood 
Indicative 
Subjunctive 
Potential 
Imperative 
Tense 
Present 
Past 
Regular 
Irregular 
Future 
Perfect 
Past  perfect 
Future  perfect 
Auxiliary 
Principal 
Person 
First 
Second 
Third 
Number 
Singular 
Plural 
Infinitives 
Gerunds 
Participles 
Conjugation 
Simple 
Emphatic 
Progressive 
Defective 
Redundant 


Uses 

Formation  of  predicate 

Infinitive,  as  noun,  adjective, 

adverb 
Gerund,   as   noun,  adjective, 

adverb 
Participle,  as  adjective 


APPENDIX                                       379 

Adverbs 

Kinds 

Forms 

Uses 

Place 

Comparison                  Modifier  of  verb 

Time 

Positive  degree         Modifier  of  adverb 

Maimer 

Comparative  degree  Modifier  of  adjective 

Degree 

Superlative  degree    To    connect    and    introduce 

Reason 

clauses 

Simple 

Phrasal 

Conjunctive 

Negative 

Expletive 

Conjunctions 

Kinds 

Uses 

Coordinate 

To   connect   words,    phrases, 

Correlative 

and  clauses 

Subordinate 

Adverbial 

Phrasal 

Prepositions 

Kinds 

Uses 

Simple 

To  establish  relations  among 

Compound 

words,  phrases,  and  clauses 

or  Derived 

» 

Phrasal 

Interjections 

Kinds 

Uses 

Simple 

To  express  strong  feeling 

Phrasal 


380  APPENDIX 

PRACTICE 

(The  following  ten  questions  are  used  by  permission  of  the  New 
York  State  Board  of  Regents.) 

1.  Write  the  following  sentences  correctly  punctuated  and  capi- 

talized :    [5] 

a.  i  dont  expect  to  get  the  position  he  said  but  im  going  to 

apply  for  it 

b.  we  have  read  the  following  books  little  women  grand- 

fathers chair 

2.  Illustrate  in   sentences    the   correct    use  of    the    following. 

(a)  doesn't,  (6)  shall,  (c)  will,  (d)  done,  (e)  whom.     [5] 

3.  Answer  all  parts  of  this  question : 

Martha  Winthrop,  a  girl  of  fourteen,  and  her  younger  brother 
kad  been  sent  to  look  for  the  cows,  which  had  gone  far  into  the  woods 
extending  behind  the  house. 

The  following  are  based  on  the  foregoing  selection : 

a.  Select  [2]  the  clauses,  classify  [2]  each  clause  as  principal 

(independent)    or   subordinate    (dependent),    and    give 
the  syntax  of  the  subordinate  (dependent)  clause.     [2] 

b.  Classify  the  sentence  as  simple,  complex,  or  compound.   [1] 

c.  Give  the  syntax  of  girl,  her,  which.     [3] 

d.  Select  the  adverbial  phrases  [4]  and  give  the  syntax  of 

each.     [4] 

e.  Select  an  adverb  [1],  a  present  participle  [1],  a  verb  in  the 

passive  voice  [1],  an  adjective  in  the  comparative  de- 
gree.    [1] 
/.  Give  the  principal  parts  of  sent,  been,  gone.    [3] 

4.  Write  five  sentences,  each  of  which  shall  illustrate  a  different 

one  of  the  following :  (a)  an  infinitive  phrase  used  as  sub- 
ject, (6)  an  adverbial  clause,  (c)  a  relative  pronoun  in  the 
objective  case,  (d)  a  substantive  (noun)  clause,  (e)  a  prep- 
ositional phrase  used  as  an  adjective.    [10] 


APPENDIX  381 

5.  Give  the  syntax  of  each  italicized  word  in  the  following :    [10] 

Mr.  James  J.  HiU,  the  noted  railroad  man,  became  an  empire  builder. 
The  northwest  owes  its  development  along  certain  lines  to  him.  His 
railroad  was  well  known. 

6.  Rewrite  the  following  in  the  past  tense :   (a)  The  kitten  lies 

in  the  sun,  (6)  The  Httle  bird  sits  on  the  branch  of  the 
tree,  (c)  The  car  goes  swiftly  down  the  street,  (d)  The 
spring  rains  do  much  good,  (e)  He  lays  the  package  on  the 
table.    [15] 

7.  Analyze  by  diagram  or  otherwise  the  following  sentence :    [10] 

After  running  another  mile  at  high  speed  to  get  away  from  the 
hounds,  the  doe  thought  that  it  would  be  safe  to  seek  her  fawn. 

8.  Answer  a,  b,  and  c : 

a.  As  we  approached  the  house  we  heard  strains  of  gay  music. 
Contract  the  dependent  clause  in  the  foregoing  sentence 
into  a  participial  phrase.     [2] 

6.  The  settlers  organized  a  new  form  of  government.  Re- 
write the  foregoing  sentence,  changing  the  verb  to  the 
passive  voice.     [2] 

c.  Use  in  a  sentence  the  possessive  plural  of  woman.     [1] 

9.  Answer  both  a  and  6 : 

a.  Illustrate  in  sentences  the  nominative,   possessive,  and 

objective  cases  of  the  relative  pronoun  who.     [5] 

b.  Write  the  plural  of  each  of  the  following  nouns :  radius, 

trout,  solo,  hero.     [4] 

10.  Answer  the  following  questions,  using  complete  statements :  — 
(a)  When  did  you  see  John?  (b)  Why  did  you  do  it? 
(c)  Who  is  it  ?     [Answer  in  the  first  person.]     [6] 


INDEX 


A  Pass  in  Hockey,  illustration,  112. 

About,  309. 

Absolute  nominative,  375. 

Abstract  noun,  359. 

Accept,  311. 

Active  voice,  367. 

Address,    business    letters,  132-133 ; 

friendly  letters,  18  ;    on  envelopes, 

30-31. 
Adjective,  predicate,  374. 
Adjective  pronoun,  360. 
Adjectives,  classified,  360 ;     defined, 

359;  errors  in,  299  ;  inflected,  366- 

367 ;   summarj'  of,  377. 
Adjustment  letter,  120. 
Admission,  308. 
Admittance,  308. 
Adverbial  conjunction,  361. 
Adverbial  objective,  375. 
Adverbs,     classified,     361 ;     defined, 

359  ;  errors  in,  299  ;  inflected,  366- 

367  ;   summary  of,  379. 
Affect,  311. 
Allusion,  312. 
Almost,  314. 

American  Education,  quoted,  275. 
Amount,  314. 

Analysis,  373  ;  of  sentences,  375. 
Angry,  309. 
Antonym,  93. 
Apostrophe,  350. 
Application  letters,  124-129. 
Apposition,  375. 
Archaic  words,  93. 
Argument  (Lesson  37),  249. 
Argument,  planning  of,  256-262. 
Around,  309. 
Around  the  Campfire,  illustration, 

336. 
Articles,  360. 


As,  313. 
At,  309. 

Austen,  Jane,  letter  by,  230. 
Auxiliary  verb,  368. 
Ayres,   Leonard  P.,  word  list,  353- 
358. 

Back-sword,  172-173. 

Balance,  316. 

Balanced  sentence,  141. 

Ballad  of  the  Oyster  man,  78. 

Beecking,  Henry  Charles,  quoted, 
213. 

Beside,  309. 

Besides,  309. 

Bird  Thoughts,  83. 

Blind  Men  and  the  Elephant,  211. 

Body,  in  letters,  17. 

Borrow,  313. 

Boy  Scouts  of  America,  quoted,  166, 
173. 

Brackets,  351. 

Breaking  the  Bronco,  illustration, 
287. 

Buddy  and  Waffles,  43. 

Business  letters  (Lesson  16),  115. 

Business  letters,  115-134;  address  in, 
132-133;  closing,  18,  132;  en- 
velope, 132;  forms  in,  131-134; 
salutation,  133. 

"But  Oh,  the  Sweetness,  and  Oh, 
THE  Light  of  the  High-Fastidious 
Night!"  illustration,  268. 

By,  309. 

Calculate,  309. 

Call  of  the  Wild,  story  from,  54. 

Can,  310. 

Capitalization,  341-342. 

Carroll,  Lewis,  letter  by,  9. 


383 


384 


INDEX 


Case,  364. 

Chaparral  Prince,  32. 

Character,  310. 

Class  grading,  330-331. 

Clausal  modifiers,  374. 

Clause,  373. 

Clear,  How  to  be,  113. 

Clearness  in  paragraphs,  190-193 ; 
in  sentences,  145-160 ;  in  speak- 
ing, 220. 

Clearness  in  speaking  (Lesson  33), 
220. 

Closing,  in  letters,  17-18. 

Coherence  in  sentences,  155-160. 

Coined  words,  92. 

Collective  noun,  359. 

Colloquial  words,  92. 

Colon,  347. 

Comma,  343-346  ;  in  letter  parts,  22. 

Common  errors  (see  Errors), 

Common  gender,  364. 

Common  mispronunciations,  297- 
298. 

Common  noun,  359. 

Compare,  310. 

Comparison,  of  adjectives  and  ad- 
verbs, 366-367 ;  in  paragraphs, 
193. 

Complaint  letter,  119. 

Complements,  374. 

Complete  predicate,  373. 

Complete  subject,  373. 

Complex  sentence,  140. 

Composition,  corrected,  293-294. 

Composition  correction,  288-294. 

Compound-complex  sentence,  140. 

Compound  preposition,  362. 

Compound  sentence,  140. 

Conjugation,  370. 

Conjunctions,  classified,  362 ;  de- 
fined, 359  ;  errors  in,  300  ;  sum- 
mary of,  379. 

Conjunctive  adverb,  361. 

Connectives,  359. 

Construction,  in  sentence,  374. 

Consul,  310. 

Contemptible,  310. 

Contemptuous,  310. 

Contrast,  310. 


Contrast,  in  paragraph,  193. 
Coordinate  conjunction,  362. 
Copula,  361. 
Copulative  verb,  361. 
Corrected  composition,  293-294. 
Corrected  letters,  291-292. 
Correcting    your    own    compositions 

(Lesson  43),  288. 
Correlative  conjunction,  362. 
Council,  310. 
Counsel,  310. 

Cummings,  Amos  J.,  quoted,  199. 
Curious,  311. 
Custom,  311. 

Dash,  348. 

David    Copper  field,    quotation    from, 

202. 
Day  of  Judgment,  64. 
Declarative  sentence,  139. 
Declension,  of  pronouns,  365. 
Defective  verb,  372. 
Degrees  of  comparison,  366. 
Demonstrative  pronoun,  360. 
Dependent  clause,  373. 
Derived  preposition,  362. 
Description  (Lesson  28),  197. 
Description  of  people   (Lesson  30), 

208. 
Description,  planning,  201. 
Descriptive  adjective,  360. 
Details,  in  paragraph,  192. 
Diacritical  marks,  96-98. 
Dialectic  words,  94. 
Dickens,  Charles,  quoted,  10,  202. 
Dictionary  (Lesson  13),  95. 
Dictionary,    abbreviations    in,     97 ; 

diacritical  marks,  96. 
Direct  address,  nominative,  375. 
Discover,  312. 
Distance,  310. 
"Don't    Kill.    Him,    Don't    Kill 

Him,  Chief  I  "  illustration,  52. 

Effect,  311. 

Elliptical  infinitive,  369. 
Emigrant,  312. 

Emphasis   in   the   sentence    (Lesson 
36),  238. 


INDEX 


385 


Emphasis;  brevity,  242 ;  position, 
240;  repetition,  238;  special  sen- 
tences, 241 ;   variety,  239. 

Emphatic  conjugation,  370,  371. 

Envelope  (Lesson  5),  28. 

Envelope,  28-29,  132. 

Errors,  common,  adjectives,  299 ; 
adverbs,  299  ;  conjunctions,  300  ; 
prepositions,  300  ;  pronouns,  299  ; 
pronunciation,  104-106 ;  sentences, 
145-165;  speech,  220-223,  297; 
verbs,  301 ;  use  of  words,  308-319. 

Esteem,  311. 

Estimate,  311. 

Examinations,  New  York  Regents, 
334,  379. 

Example,  in  paragraph,  192. 

Except,  311. 

Exclamation,  nominative  of,  375. 

Exclamation  mark,  348. 

Exclamatory  sentence,  139. 

Explanation  (Lesson  23),  165. 

Explanation  in  paragraphs,  192 ; 
methods  of,  180 ;  planning  of, 
175. 

Expletive,  362. 

Fallacy,  in  argument,  259. 

Feminine  gender,  364. 

Few,  311. 

Fields,  James  T.,  quoted,  77 ;    poem 

by,  269. 
Fifty    groups    of    words,    commonly 

misused,  308-317. 
First  appearance  at  the  Odeon,  77. 
First  person  stories,  poetry,  83-84 ; 

prose,  57-64. 
Fix,  316. 

Foreign  words,  94. 
Form  in  friendly  letters  (Lesson  2), 

15. 
Formal  notes  (Lesson  19),  134. 
Forms,  business  letter,  131-134. 
Friendly  letters  (Lesson  1),  8. 
From  My  Study  Window,  202 ;    plan 

of,  203. 
Funny,  311. 

Future  perfect  tense,  368. 
Future  tense,  368. 

2c 


Gender,  364. 

General  tests  (Lesson  47),  328-337. 

Gerund,  369. 

Gilbert,  W.  S.,  poem  by,  84. 

Going  Down  Hill  on  a  Bicycle,  213. 

Grading,  class,  330-331. 

Grammar,  review  of,  358-381. 

Granny  Grammar's  Party,  293-294. 

Guest,  Edgar  A.,  poem  by,  210. 

Hahit,  311. 

Hackneyed  expressions,  302-303. 

"Halt!"  illustration,  228. 

Havana,  199. 

Hawthorne,  Nathaniel,  quoted,  202. 

"He  Held  Me  Close  and  I  Went 

TO  Sleep  That  Way,  "illustration, 

42. 
Heading,  in  letters,  16. 
Helping  verb,  368. 
Henry,  O.,  story  by,  32. 
Her  First  Day  at  School,   illus- 
tration, 179. 
Highwayman,  79. 
Holmes,   Oliver  Wendell,   poem   by, 

78. 
Homonym,  93. 
Hood,  Thomas,  letter  by,  14. 
How  to  be  clear  (Chapter  III),  113. 
How  to  be  convincing  (Chapter  IV), 

229. 
How  to  be  interesting  (Chapter  II), 

6. 
How  to  be    thorough    (Chapter   V), 

288.      . 
Hxigh  Wynne,  story  from,  57. 
Hugh's  School  Days,  57. 
Hughes,  Thomas,  quoted,  172. 
Human,  312. 
Humane,  312. 

Huxley,  Thomas  Henry,  quoted,  251. 
Hyena's  Howl,  199. 
Hyphen,  351. 

Illusion,  312. 

Illustration,  in  paragraphs,  192. 

Illustrations,  A  Pass  in  Hockey,  112 
Around  the  Campfire,  336 
Breaking     the     Bronco,     287 


386 


INDEX 


"But Oh,  the  Sweetness  and  Oh, 
THE  Light  of  the  High-Fastidi- 
ous Night!"  268;  "Don't  Kill 
Him,  Don't  Kill  Him,  Chief!" 
52;  "Halt!"  228;  "He  Held 
Me  Close  and  I  Went  to  Sleep 
That  Way,"  42  ;  Her  First  Day 
AT  School,  179  ;  Making  a  Goal, 
144;  "'Now  Run,  Run,'  She 
Cried,"  59  ;  On  the  Skis,  246  ; 
"Out!"  207;  Owl  Against  Robin, 
266;  Surf  Board  Riding,  196; 
Tea  for  Five,  189 ;  The  Caddy, 
200;  The  Tr.ul  Blazers,  220; 
Tobogganing,  89;  "What  a 
Meal  He  Can  Prepare!"  167; 
"Votes  FOR  Women!"  276. 

Immigrant,  312. 

Imperative  mood,  368. 

Imperative  sentence,  139. 

Imperfect  tense,  368. 

Independent  clause,  373. 

Indicative  mood,  367. 

Indirect  object,  374. 

Infinitive,  368-369. 

Interest  in  letters  (Lesson  4),  26. 

Interest  in  story  telling  (Lesson  11), 
87. 

Interest  in  words  (Lesson  12),  91. 

Interesting,  How  to  be,  6. 

Interjections,  classified,  362  ;  defined, 
359 ;    summary  of,  379. 

Interrogative  pronoun,  360,  366. 

Interrogative  sentence,  139. 

Intransitive  verb,  361. 

Introductory  adverb,  362. 

Invent,  312. 

Irregular  verb,  368. 

Irving,  Washington,  quoted,  197. 

It  Couldn't  Be  Done,  210. 

Its  (It's),  314. 

Johnston,  Lincoln's  letter  to,  255. 

Keller,  Helen,  quoted,  8,  169-172. 

La  Fitters  Treasure  Hunt,  173-174. 
Language,  customs  of,  3 ;    evolution 
of,  1 ;   laws  of,  3. 


Lanier,  Sidney,  poem  by,  266. 

Lay,  312. 

Learn,  313. 

Leave,  313. 

Legend  of  Sleepy  Hollow,   quotation 
from,  197. 

Lend,  313. 

Less,  311. 

Let,  313. 

Letter,  address,  30-31 ;    adjustment, 
120;    application,  124-129;    Aus- 
ten, Jane,  230 ;   body  of,  17 ;   busi- 
ness, 115-134;    Carroll,  Lewis,  9; 
closing,    17-18 ;      comma   in,    22  ; 
complaint,  119;    convincing,  230- 
235  ;    corrected,  291-292  ;   diagram 
of  parts,  20 ;  Dickens,  Charles,  10 
friendly,  8-28  ;   form  in,  15  ;   head 
ing,   15-16;     Hood,   Thomas,   14 
interest  in,  26;     Keller,  Helen,  8 
kinds  of,  329 ;    Lincoln,  Abraham 
13,    231,    255;     newspaper,    234 
order,  116-117;  parts  of,  18;  pic- 
ture, 19-20,  24  ;  placement,  22-25 
punctuation,  22-25;   receipt,  118 
recommendation,   231-234;     salu- 
tation,    16-17 ;        signature,     18 
special,  235  ;    Stevenson,  R.  L.,  11 

Letters  of  application  (Lesson  17),  123 

Letters  that  convince  (Lesson  34) ,  230 

Liable,  313. 

Liberal  Education  and  Where  to  Find 
It,  quotation,  251. 

Lie,  312. 

Like,  313. 

Likely,  313. 

Limiting  adjective,  360. 

Lincoln,    Abraham,   letters    by,    13, 
231,  255. 

Lists,  word,  352-358. 

Loan,  313. 

London,  Jack,  story  by,  64. 

Loose,  313. 

Loose  sentence,  140. 

Lose,  313. 

Macy-Norris,  quoted,  250. 

Mad,  309. 

Making  a  Goal,  illustration.  I-  -f. 


INDEX 


387 


Making  paragraphs  clear  (Lesson  27) , 
190. 

Making  sentences  clear  —  unity  (Les- 
son 21),  145. 

Making  sentences  clear  —  coherence 
(Lesson  22),  155. 

Many,  314. 

Marks,  diacritical,  96-98. 

Masculine  gender,  364. 

Masefield,  John,  quoted,  219. 

May,  310. 

Methods  of  explanation,  180. 

Mispronunciations,  common,  297- 
298. 

Mitchell,  S.  Weir,  story  by,  57. 

Modifier,  374. 

Modifiers,  359. 

Mood,  367-368. 

Moroso,  John  A.,  story  by,  43. 

Mosses  from  an  Old  Manse,  quota- 
tion from,  202. 

Most,  314. 

Mr.  Nobody,  214. 

Much,  314. 

Near,  309. 

Negative  adverb,  361. 

Neuter,  31. 

Neuter  gender,  364. 

New  Testament,  story  from,  56. 

New  York  Regents  examination,  334, 

379. 
Nominative  absolute,  375. 
Nominative  case,  364. 
Nominative  by  direct  address,  375. 
Nominative  independent,  375. 
Nominative  of  exclamation,  375. 
Nominative,  predicate,  374. 
None,  314. 
Notional  verb,  368. 
Noun  in  apposition,  375. 
Nouns,  classified,  359  ;   defined,  359  ; 

inflected,   363-364 ;    summary  of, 

376. 
'"Now    Run,    Run,'    She    Cried," 

illustration,  59. 
Noyes,  Alfred,  poem  by,  79. 
Number,  314. 
Number,  363. 


Object,  of  verb,  374. 

Objective  case,  364. 

Objective  complement,  374. 

Obsolete  words,  93. 

Old  Man  and  Jim,  74. 

On  the  Skis,  illustration,  246. 

On  writing  and  speaking  (Chapter  1), 
1. 

Order,  in  club  meetings,  277. 

Order  letters,  116-117. 

Ordering  a  Uniform,  175. 

Other  methods  of  explanation  (Les- 
son 25),  180. 

"Out!"  illustration,  207. 

Owl  Against  Robin,  illustration, 
266. 

Owl  Against  Robin,  266. 

Parable  of  Talents,  56 ;   plan  of,  71. 
Paragraph  (Lesson  26),  184. 
Paragraph,     clearness    in,     190-193 ; 

development  of,  191-193. 
Paragraphs    that    convince    (Lesson 

40),  271. 
Parentheses,  350. 
Parliamentary  order,  277. 
Parsing,   373 ;    of  different  parts  of 

speech,  376. 
Part,  314. 
Participle,  369. 

Particulars,  in  paragraph,  192. 
Parts  of  letter,  18-20. 
Parts    of    speech,    definitions,    358; 

forms,  362  ;   kinds,  359  ;   summary 

of,  376-379. 
Parts  of  verb,  371-372. 
Party,  315. 

Passive  voice,  367,  370-371. 
Past  tense,  308. 
People,  description  of,  208. 
Perfect  tense,  368. 
Period,  343. 
Periodic  sentence,  141. 
Person,  315. 
Person,  363. 

Personal  pronoun,  359,  365. 
Phrasal  adverb,  361. 
Phrasal  conjunction,  362. 
Phrasal  interjection,  362. 


388 


INDEX 


Phrasal  modifiers,  374. 

Phrasal  preposition,  362. 

Phrase,  373. 

Picture,  in  letters,  19-20,  24. 

Placement  of  letter  parts,  22-25. 

Planning,  argument,  256 ;  descrip- 
tion, 201;  explanation,  175-177; 
speaking,  280 ;   story,  70. 

Planning  a  description  (Lesson  29), 
201. 

Planning  a  story  (Lesson  8),  70. 

Planning  an  argument  (Lesson  38), 
256. 

Planning  an  explanation  (Lesson  24) , 
175. 

Pluperfect  tense,  368. 

Plural  number,  363 ;  poem  about, 
227. 

Poetry  that  argues  (Lesson  39),  265. 

Poetry,  that  argues,  265-271 ;  Owl 
Against  Robin,  266 ;  The  Owl  Critic, 
269 ;  that  explains  and  describes, 
210-215 ;  Going  Down  Hill  on  a 
Bicycle,  213  ;  It  Couldn't  Be  Done, 
210 ;  Mr.  Nobody,  214  ;  The  Blind 
Men  and  the  Elephant,  211 ;  that 
tells  stories  (first  person) ,  83-84 ; 
Bird  Thoughts,  83 ;  Yam  of  the 
'Nancy  Bell,'  84;  (third  person), 
74-83 ;  Ballad  of  the  Oysterman, 
78  ;  First  Appearance  at  the  Odeon, 
77 ;  Highwayman,  79 ;  Old  Man 
and  Jim,  74. 

Poetry  that  explains  and  describes 
(Lesson  31),  210. 

Portion,  314. 

Position,  in  paragraphs,  272. 

Possessive  case,  365. 

Potential  mood,  367. 

Predicate,  373. 

Predicate  adjective,  374. 

Predicate  nominative,  374. 

Prefix,  283. 

Prepositions,  classified,  362  ;  defined, 
359 ;  errors  in,  300 ;  summary  of, 
379. 

Present  perfect  tense,  368. 

Present  tense,  368. 

Principal  verb,  368. 


Progressive  conjugation,  370,  371. 

Pronouns,  classified,  359-360;  de- 
fined, 359 ;  errors  in,  299 ;  inflected, 
36.3-366  ;   summary  of,  377. 

Pronunciation  of  troublesome  vowels 
and  consonants,  104-106. 

Proper  adjective,  361. 

Proper  noun,  359. 

Prose  stories,  first  person,  57-64 ; 
third  person,  32-56. 

Provincial  words,  94. 

Punctuation,  343-351 ;  in  letter 
parts,  22-25. 

Punctuation  and  placement  of  letter 
parts  (Lesson  3),  22. 

Quantity,  314. 
Question  mark,  348. 
Quotation  mark,  349. 

Raise,  315. 

Real,  315. 

Reasons,  in  paragraph,  192. 

Rebuttal,  261. 

Receipt  letter,  118. 

Reckon,  309. 

Recollect,  316. 

Recommendation,  letters  of,  231-232. 

Redundant  verb,  373. 

Regard,  315. 

Regents    examinations.    New   York, 

334. 
Regular  verb,  368. 
Relation,  315. 
Relative,  315. 

Relative  pronoun,  360,  366. 
Remainder,  316. 
Remember,  316. 
Remit,  316. 
Repair,  316. 
Reputation,  261. 
Reputation,  310. 
Respect,  315. 
Responsive  adverb,  362. 
Retained  object,  374. 
Review  of  grammar,  358-381. 
Right  use  of  words  (Lesson  15),  108. 
Riley,  James   Whitcomb,    poem  by, 

74. 


INDEX 


389 


Rise,  315. 

Russell  Sage  Foundation  word  list, 
353-358. 

Sage  Foundation  word  list,  353-358, 
Salutation,  in  letters,  16-17. 
Saxe,  John  Godfrey,  poem  by,  211. 
Schoolroom,  202-203  ;   plan  of,  203. 
Schultz-Gerhard,  E.,  quoted,  275. 
Semicolon,  346. 
Send,  316. 

Sentence  (Lesson  20),  138. 
Sentence,  emphasis  in,  238  ;  kinds  of, 

139-141 ;   topic,  191. 
Sentences,  testing  of,  320-322. 
Set,  316. 
Shall,  368. 

Signature,  in  letters,  18. 
Simple  adverb,  361. 
Simple  interjection,  362. 
Simple  predicate,  373. 
Simple  preposition,  362. 
Simple  sentence,  139. 
Simple  subject,  373. 
Singular  number,  363. 
Sit,  316. 
Slang,  93. 
Speaking,    1,  103-104;    clearness  in, 

220 ;     to    convince,    276 ;     unpre- 
pared, 279. 
Speaking  (Lesson  14),  103. 
Speaking   to    convince    (Lesson   41), 

276. 
Special  business  letter  forms  (Lesson 

18),  131. 
Special  letters  (Lesson  35),  235. 
Speech,    parts    of,    definitions,    358 ; 

forms,  362  ;   kinds,  359  ;   summary 

of,  376-379. 
Speech,  testing  of,  297. 
Spelling  terrors,  two  hundred,  352- 

353. 
Standard  words,  92. 
Stay,  317. 

Stevenson,  R.  L.,  letter  by,  11. 
Stop,  317. 
Stories,    first    person    (poetry) ,    83 ; 

Bird    Thoughts,    83;     Yarn   of  the 

''Nancy  Bell,''  84;  (prose)  Day  of 


Judgment,  64 ;  Hugh's  School  Days, 
57  ;  third  person  (poetry) ;  Ballad 
■of  the  Oysterman,  78 ;  First  Ap- 
pearance at  the  Odeon,  78 ;  High- 
wayman, 79 ;  Old  Man  and  Jim, 
74 ;  (prose)  Buddy  and  Waffles,  43  ; 
Chaparral  Prince,  32 ;  Parable  of 
the  Talents,  56  ;    To  the  Death,  54. 

Stories  in  poetry  told  in  the  first 
person  (Lesson  10),  83. 

Stories  in  poetry  told  in  the  third 
person  (Lesson  9),  74. 

Stories  in  prose  told  in  the  first  person 
(Lesson  7),  57. 

Stories  in  prose  told  in  the  third  per- 
son (Lesson  6),  32. 

Story  plans,  71. 

Story  telling,  interest  in,  87. 

Strong  verb,  368. 

Subject,  of  sentence,  373. 

Subjunctive  mood,  367. 

Subordinate  conjunction,  362. 

Substantives,  359. 

Sufiix,  283. 

SuBF  Board  Riding,  illustration,  196. 

Suspect,  317. 

Suspicion,  317. 

Synonym,  93. 

Synopsis,  of  verb,  370. 

Syntax,  373  ;  of  members  of  sentence, 
375. 

Talmage,  T.  De  Witt,  quoted,  199. 

Tea  for  Five,  illustration,  189. 

Teach,  313. 

Technical  words,  92. 

Tennyson,  quoted,  208. 

Tense,  368. 

Testing  your  sentences  (Lesson  46), 

320. 
Testing  your  speech  (Lesson  44) ,  297. 
Testing  your  words  (Lesson  45),  307. 
Tests,  general,  328-337. 
The  Caddy,  illustration,  200. 
The  Owl  Critic,  269. 
The  Seeing  Hand,  169-172. 
The  Ship,  quotation  from,  219. 
The    Trail    Blazers,    illustration, 

220. 


390 


INDEX 


Third  person  stories,  poetry,  74-79 ; 

prose,  32-56. 
Thorough,  How  to  be,  288. 
To  the  Death,  54;   plan  of,  71. 
Tobogganing,  illustration,  89. 
Tom  Brown's  School  Days,  quotation 

from,  172. 
Topic  sentence,  191. 
Transitive  verb,  361. 
Trotty's  Wedding  Tour,  story  from,  64. 
Two  hundred  spelling  terrors,  352- 

353. 

Unity  in  sentences,  145-149. 

Unless,  317. 

Unprepared  speaking,  types  of,  279. 

Van  Tassel  Farm,  197. 

Variety,  in  paragraphs,  273. 

Verbal  noun,  369. 

Verbs,  classified,  361 ;    defined,  359 ; 

errors  in,  301 ;   inflected,  367-373  ; 

summary  of,  378. 
Very,  315. 
Voice,  367. 
Votes  for  Women,  illustration,  276. 

Ward,  Elizabeth  Stuart  Phelps,  story 
by,  64. 


Way,  310. 

Weak  verb,  368. 

"  What  a  Meal  He  Can  Prepare  ! ' 
illustration,  167. 

What  Is  a  Boy  Scout?   166-169. 

When,  317. 

While,  317. 

Will,  368. 

Without,  317. 

Word  lists,  352-358. 

Word  modifiers,  374. 

Words  (Lesson  32),  215. 

Words,  antonym,  93 ;  obsolete,  93 ; 
archaic,  93  ;  provincial,  94  ;  coined, 
92;  right  use  of,  108-110;  col- 
loquial, 92  ;  slang,  93  ;  commonly 
confused,  308 ;  sources  of,  282 ; 
dialectic,  94 ;  special,  217  ;  foreign, 
94;  standard,  92;  general,  217: 
synonym,  93 ;  homonym,  93 . 
technical,  92;  interest  in,  91 
testing,  307-317;  that  convince 
281. 

Words   that    convince    (Lesson   42), 
281. 

World  I  Live  In,  quotation  from,  169. 

Writing,  1. 

Yarn  of  the  ''Nancy  Bell,'*  84. 


Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America. 


RETURN      EDUCATION-PSYCHOLOGY  LIBRARY 

TO  ►           2600  Tolman  Hall                           642-4209 

LOAN  PERIOD  1 

'  MONOGI^APH 

4 

5 

6 

ALL  BOOKS  MAY  BE  RECALLED  AFTER  7  DAYS 

2-hour  books  must  be  renewed  in  person 

Return  to  desk  from  which  borrowed 

DUE  AS  STAMPED  BELOW 

FORM  NO.  DD10 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA.  BERKELEY 
BERKELEY,  CA  94720 


VB  369(9 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CAUFORNIA  LIBRARY 


